The Supreme Court of Pakistan has removed the ban and permitted ‘conditional’ hunting of the endangered houbara bustards. The Honorable Supreme Court perhaps did not realise that any hunting was always conditional. That the government could always put any constraints on hunting. That the Arabs never follow any of the conditions written on those worthless pieces of paper. That the fleet of ‘sarkari’ minions is more interested in collecting dollars, vehicles and watches rather than counting the number of birds shot by the pleasure-seeking predators. That the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan has no authority or mandate to issue hunting permits and that by doing so it is indulging in an illegal and unethical activity.
The Supreme Court however found it convenient to succumb to the arguments manufactured by the Einsteins of our Foreign Ministry — Pakistan could collapse if we did not cater to the provisions essential for supporting the Arab libido. Except for those who personally stand to gain from the leftovers of these slaughter houses, the people of Pakistan are hugely disappointed and embarrassed by this decision.
A society that does not show care and kindness towards its animals cannot be expected to act humane towards its citizens. By agreeing to the convoluted argument of our Foreign Ministry that the appeasement of Arabs is more important than the massacre of an endangered species, the Supreme Court has pushed Pakistan back into medieval ages. Would it be long before the same ‘sustainability’ precedence is eloquently argued to justify the use of Pakistani soldiers as fodder for the Arab cause?
NAEEM SADIQ
Lahore
The "begging bowl" at work!
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