DFO says no markhor illegally hunted in Chitral
CHITRAL, March 13: With reference to the news report published in ChitralToday (chitraltoday.net) on March 11, 2013, captioned “Poor markhor and the hungry mighty guards”, Mr Imtiaz Hussain, the divisional forest officer (DFO) wildlife division Chitral has issued the following clarification:
It is clarified that the hype created through the above report by Mr. Zulfiqar Ahmad is nothing more than to gain cheap fame. In fact, Mr. Tamzeez Uddin S/O Sareer Uddin, a resident of Shah Colony Kanal Town House No. 1-G, Street No. 10, tehsil and district Peshawar, had hunted one Ibex at Golen Valley Community Game Reserve on 07-03-2014 under valid permit issued by the Chief Conservator Wildlife Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Peshawar vide Permit No. 04/WLC, dated 30-01-2013 and a dinner was hosted by the said legal hunter at PTDC Motel Chitral on 9-3-2014 and the meat of the same legally hunted Ibex was served to the invited guests as per his written statement dated 13-3-2014 on record with this office. It was the meat of Ibex of Golen valley not of allegedly illegally hunted Markhor of Birmogh Lasht.
As regard comments made by one Nargis Jabeen is concerned that is quite baseless allegation against a responsible government institution and the wording of the comments “A native of Lotkoh valley Sin village called Prince invites millionaires of other areas to hunt Wild goats without any legal permit” is not only vague and ambiguous but what she wants to say is beyond comprehension. Actually legal hunt of Markhor is conducted by foreign trophy hunter annually in Tooshi-Shasha and Gahiret-Golen markhor conservancies after selling permit of the same hunt through open bidding dully advertised in national press.
This office seeks cooperation of the honorable lady to share information about another group of two men in Shah Salim Pass involved in illegal hunting of Ibex to book the offenders under the law.
Read the original story here: https://www.chitraltoday.net/2014/03/11/poor-markhor-and-the-mighty-guards/]]>
There seems something fishy here. The DFO has tactfully tried to mislead and confuse the readers regarding the matter. There is now no second opinion that a dinner was arranged with the meat of the threatened animal on the table as the main menu as the DFO himself has admitted it. Whether it was a markhor or an ibex is not an issue, the issue is in what way the endangered animal was hunted.
The DFO says that the meat was an ibex hunted by one Tameezuddin, a resident of Peshawar. But my information is that the hunter is a native of upper Chitral and works for an intelligence agency. Why the DFO tries to show that someone from Peshawar had come to hunt the ibex after passing through the process of obtaining a permit. It has further increased the suspicion about the illegal activities right under the nose of the department – much more than meets the eye.
We should be thankful to the writer for having the courage to bring this report into the notice of the general public through this online newspaper. Some of the government officials have been very disorderly in Chitral and no one is taking notice of all this. Some of them have enjoyed political backing in the past. All these persons should be held accountable for whatever has been done.
The poaching of Markhor in Chitral is common nowadays, The Wildlife Department is facilitating such poaching. It is also common that a person can hunt five Markhor/ibex in one permit.
A proper investigation on the subject matter from NAB is needed.
Hamza Khan
Jughoor Chitral