The Punjab Wildlife Department carried out an operation in Khanewal, seizing a large consignment of dead wild birds smuggled from Karachi to Okara. Authorities recovered a total of 7,702 birds, including sparrows, mynas, bulbuls, ducks and partridges, and said efforts were underway to arrest the suspect.
According to authorities, the operation was carried out on the basis of secret information. Under the supervision of Deputy Chief Wildlife Warden Multan, Dr Sajjad Hussain, Deputy Chief Wildlife Warden Khanewal Munawar Hussain Najmi and his team set up a checkpoint and searched a passenger bus arriving from Karachi.
During the search, authorities 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 on behalf of a person identified as Rafiq, a resident of Okara. Authorities said legal action was underway to arrest the suspect.
Read: Punjab government rolls out wildlife risk control rules by 2025
In a separate operation in Attock district, deputy chief forest guard 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 caught hunting and possessing partridges, while a case was registered against another person who uploaded and circulated an urial hunting video on social media. Other legal proceedings were initiated.
Punjab wildlife officials said operations against illegal hunting and smuggling of wild animals would continue.
