ISLAMABAD: Over a thousand baby parrots and nightingales were smuggled from Pakistan to Bahrain disguised as lovebirds and Australian parrots with the involvement of government departments.
Parrots and nightingales cannot be exported according to Pakistani laws. Bahrain authorities stopped the smuggler from carrying the birds to the country and sent the shipment back to Pakistan on March 8. Dozens of birds died due to starvation.
Officials of the customs and wildlife department as well as a veterinary doctor of a government department were involved in the scam. The individuals, instead of returning the shipment back to the wildlife department, declared the birds as imports and gave the birds back to the importer. No inquiry was conducted against the importer either.
Documents related to declaration of birds as imports were riddled with contradictions.
Moreover, permit given by the Ministry of Climate Change was only for lovebirds and pigeons, and the same was reiterated by the custom officials. On the contrary, the invoice and custom documents include import of Australian parrots.
A couple of weeks ago, two shipments of similar rare birds were returned by Saudi Arabia but no inquiry was held into the matter.