Lahore High Court prohibits hunting of black bucks

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court in a landmark verdict on Tuesday imposed ban on the hunting of black bucks in Punjab, ARY News reported.

A bench of the high court, comprises of Justice Abid Aziz Shaikh issued 17-page verdict of the case.

The high court also ordered the Government of Punjab to take substantial steps to ensure protection of black bucks in the province.

The bench directed the concerned commission headed by Dr Pervez Hassan to submit its report in every six months in the court.

The animals are an essential part of our environment and leaving them unprotected is violation of the fundamental rights, the court remarked.

The petition said that the government not taking proper steps for protection of blackbucks adding that the population of the animal is deteriorating due to issuance of illegal hunting permits and lack of safety measures.

It further pleaded that the provincial government was negligent over the matter. The blackbucks in Cholistan desert and the Lal Suhanra Park in Bahawalpur are deteriorating, and it is a worrisome situation.

The high court recently announced a verdict, directing the Punjab government to take safety precautionary measures in order to protect blackbucks. A protected vulnerable species under the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act,it is included in the third schedule, which describes the list of animals and birds vulnerable as declared by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species.