Three arrested for poaching in Chitral Gol

CHITRAL, Jan 28: It is another daylight robbery on the precious wildlife of Chitral.

Poachers again hunt down and then hide the carcass of a Kashmir Markhor in the heavily guarded Chitral National Park sparking a number of questions about the conservation of the endangered species. 

Chitral police sources told this correspondent that on the report of the national park management, a case had been registered against Imran Khan, Takbeer Shah and Gul Gujar of Singur village for poaching the animal. They have now been arrested.

Police said that the hide of the hunted animal was recovered along with a number of empty shells of cartridges of automatic rifle used in the poaching. The spot of poaching was said to be Guruli Rogh which is situated in the core zone of the national park near the rest house of the national park.

The local people have expressed their astonishment over the entrance of the poachers in the national park and further approach to the core zone along with automatic rifles. Shahid Wali, a resident of Chew Doke, a village adjacent to the park, said: “It is very strange that the hide of the Markhor was recovered but the carcass and horns have gone missing. This shows the incompetence of the park management.”

What is the utility of the national park if poaching goes unchecked in it and people enter the park in broad daylight branding rifles in connivance with the management. Entering a park with a rifle is just like entering a mosque without taking off your shoes, local resident Shahid Wali. 

When the divisional forest officer wildlife division, Shakil Ahmed was contacted by this correspondent, he admitted the incident of poaching in the park but declined to give its details saying that he was not authorized to do so.

“Without consulting and getting permission from the chief conservator, I cannot tell you a word about the incident”, he said and disconnected his telephone.

It is to be recalled that the chief justice of Peshawar High Court had taken a suo motu notice of a poaching incident of Kashmir markhor in the park last year in which unknown poachers had hunted down a markhor.

The court had asked the department of environment to take affective measures to provided protection to the wild life in the park.–Zahiruddin