The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday reserved its verdict on review appeals against ban on houbara bustard’s hunt. The court said that the verdict will be given at an appropriate time.
A five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justices Mian Saqib Nisar, Iqbal Hameedur Rehman, Umar Ata Bandial and Qazi Faez Isa resumed the hearing of review petitions filed by the Federal and provincial governments against the ban.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mir Balakh Sher Mazari retracted their pleas.
Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt maintained that international organizations pertaining to wildlife permit controlled hunting, thus there must not be a complete ban on Houbara bustard’s hunt.
Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that court’s order becomes a law. If there is any mistake in an order, it is the court’s responsibility to correct it and there is no need of a review appeal, he added.
The annual growth of Houbara bustard in Pakistan has climbed to 40,000 while the Arab brothers have also shown concerns over the bird’s protection in the country.
A report of an international foundation pertaining to the breed was submitted in SC earlier on January 7. In the report, it was said that the growth of the bird would be increased to 50,000 from 40,000 this year as more than 75,000 birds have been released in the jungles.
Several nurseries and protection units have also been established in Pakistan, while Arab security agencies have handed over Houbara bustards to the Pakistani government.
The Abu Dhabi government has also given 1,000 falcons to Pakistan between 1995 to 2008.