The Punjab Wildlife Department conducted an operation in Khanewal and seized a large consignment of dead wild birds being smuggled from Karachi to Okara. Officials found a total of 7,702 birds, including sparrows, mynas, bulbuls, ducks and partridges, and said efforts were underway to arrest the suspect.
According to officials, the operation was carried out 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 found 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 a manhunt was underway to arrest the suspect.
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In a separate operation in Attock district, Assistant Wildlife Warden Shahzaib Khurshid and his team arrested three suspects for illegal hunting and possession of urial and partridge.
A fine of Rs 150,000 was imposed on a person found hunting and possessing partridges, while a case was registered against another person who uploaded and circulated a video of urial hunting on social media. Additional legal proceedings have been initiated.
Punjab Wildlife officials said operations against illegal hunting and wildlife smuggling would continue.
