KARACHI – Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Memon has set up a hunting range of protected and endangered deer in Nangarparkar area of Tharparkar district for five influential provincial ministers and MPAs, sources told Pakistan Today on Monday. All arrangements have been made to arrange this VIP hunt, including special jeeps and trained staff, as well as provision to keep the activity hidden from the local residents and the media.
Sources said Memon had invited Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khoro, Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani, Minister for Law Ayaz Soomro, Minister for Revenue and Relief Jam Mehtab Daher, Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla and several MPAs for the high-profile hunt. These ministers and MPAs will address a public gathering in Nangarparkar town in the morning and will stay in the town until evening, proceeding for the hunt later at night. Small villages and traditional hamlets near Kubarri area in the eastern side of Nangarparkar town near the Indian border is supposed to have a large deer population.
Lying along the edges of famous Runn of Kachh, the vast area near Kubarri once boasted a large population of deer, but environmental degradation, reduced rains, fencing along the Indian border and ruthless hunting of this protected species has led to a considerable reduction in deer population. Memon is going to his native town for the first time after becoming a minister and has planned the large public gathering as a show of force.
Locals said Memon was not only involved in illegal deer hunting, but after becoming an MPA from the district, he patronised the local timber mafia involved in large scale felling of endangered and protected species of indigenous trees in famous Karoonjhar hills. Honorary District Game Warden Tharparkar Tilok Chand said he had no information in this regard while Sindh Wildlife Department Saeed Akhtar Conservator said deer was an endangered and protected species and its hunting was not allowed to anyone.
