IHC imposes ban on import & export of animals

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday imposed a ban on import & export of rare species of falcons and other animals and sought a report from Ministry of Climate Change regarding total number of their sell abroad.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case regarding the above matter. During hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer adopted the stance that foreign office used to grant temporarily permission to import the animals and they were then re-exported.
He said they used to export a young falcon after importing an old one.
The chief justice remarked that apparently an illegal practice of animals’ import and export was continued.
The representative of Ministry of Climate Change said a breeding process is done after the import of animals and provinces had its record.
He said that there was also a practice of animals’ smuggling.
Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyab Shah said that on the request of UAE a falcon was gifted with the approval of chief executive of the country. This gift didn’t fall in trade activities, he said.
The court asked how even the chief executive could commit an illegal act. The court asked the ministry to provide a list of rare species animal.
The court asked whether a giraffe could be smuggled. He questioned how many animals or giraffe died in Peshawar Zoo.
The court adjourned further hearing of the case till May 23, with above instructions.