‘Soft diplomacy’ #Pakistan style — Qatar royals get special permission to hunt endangered bird

 By BISMEE TASKIN

The houbara bustards are listed as a rare and vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and have a global population ranging between 50,000-1,00,000.

The Pakistani government granted special permission to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and 14 other members of his family, to hunt an internationally endangered migratory bird.

According to reports, the prince and his delegation landed in the country Tuesday and will be hunting houbara bustards in the Sindh district.

The houbara bustards, also known as Asian houbara, are listed as a rare and vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and have a global population ranging between 50,000 to 1,00,000. The bird’s meat is also considered an aphrodisiac.

This special permission is being viewed as ‘soft diplomacy’ between the Arab world and Pakistan.

This is also not the first time Pakistan has engaged in such diplomacy. In December 2019 as well, the government had granted the Emir special permission to hunt the bustards. 

Islamabad’s only zoo shuts down

Weeks after Kaavan, the world’s loneliest elephant, was rescued from the Islamabad Zoo, two Himalayan brown bears named Babloo and Suzie were also airlifted Wednesday to a sanctuary in Jordan. They were the last inhabitants of the zoo, which has now shut down. It was the only zoo in the city.

The Islamabad Zoo had drawn international criticism for its treatment of the lonely elephant and severe living conditions in the premises.

US singer Cher, who had campaigned vociferously for Kaavan’s rehabilitation, had said that the Islamabad High Court’s decision to shift the elephant to a sanctuary in Cambodia was “one of the greatest moments of her life”.

https://theprint.in/go-to-pakistan/soft-diplomacy-pakistan-style-qatar-royals-get-special-permission-to-hunt-endangered-bird/569167/