The Punjab Wildlife Department carried out an operation in Khanewal, seizing a large consignment of dead wild birds being smuggled from Karachi to Okara. Officials recovered a total of 7,702 birds, including sparrows, mynas, bulbuls, ducks and partridges, and said efforts were under way to arrest the suspect.
According to officials, the operation was conducted on the basis of secret information. Under the supervision of Deputy Chief Wildlife Ranger Multan Dr. Sajjad Hussain, Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Khanewal Munawar Hussain Najmi and his team set up a checkpoint and searched a passenger bus arriving from Karachi.
During the search, officials recovered 4,304 sparrows, 3,200 mynas and bulbuls, 196 ducks and two partridges. All the birds were found dead and had been booked for transport in the name of a person identified as Rafiq, a resident of Okara. Officials said legal proceedings were under way to arrest the suspect.
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In a separate operation in Attock district, Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Shahzaib Khurshid and his team arrested three suspects for illegal hunting and possession of urial and partridges.
A fine of Rs150,000 was imposed on a person found hunting and possessing partridges, while a case was registered against another individual who uploaded and circulated a video of urial hunting on social media. Further legal action has been initiated.
Punjab Wildlife officials said operations against illegal hunting and wildlife smuggling would continue.
