MIANWALI: There has been a ban on the issue of licence in Punjab since 2001 to keep a black partridge or ‘kala teetar’.Malik Zafarullah, bird enthusiast, used to stroll on the Mianwali streets almost 14 years ago with his chirping bird. He misses those days.

He sees the decision of the Punjab government discriminatory as there is no such ban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.

Mianwali district was once known for teetar enthusiasts.

“The hobby is cheap and creates love for birds among the people,” Zafarullah told Dawn.

Besides black partridges, people used to keep quills, cocks, pigeons and parrots.

“And if you’re rich, you may keep costly horses, camels and dogs,” he explains the hobbies of rich people.

In the months of peak summer, there used to be a series of tournament of bird singing in the district, said Zafarullah.

He said the bird keeper would train their bird for months for those competitions.

He said he would consume his bird a special diet like almond and organic grains to enhance their stamina to sing for hours.

He said the ban had failed to diminish people’s love for the beautiful bird, “whose every chirp is ‘Subhan teri Qudrat (or Allah, You are great)’”.

He said the ban had only stopped several people from exhibiting their prized birds in the public. They travel to as far as Peshawar, Kohat and Sukkur to participate in singing competitions.

He said the ban had also deprived the Punjab Wildlife Department of handsome income. He said a partridge owner had to pay Rs100 per year as license fee.

Zafarullah appealed to the chief minister to lift the ban.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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