PM Nawaz approves Rs 25 crore to protect Houbara Bustards

PM Nawaz approves Rs 25 crore to protect Houbara Bustards

Islamabad: Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has approved Rs 250 million for a 'Houbara Bustard and Migratory Birds Endowment Fund'.

The fund will be utilized for the rehabilitation center and breeding of the rare bird.

Last week, the federal government had issued special permits to three princes from Saudi Arabia to hunt the Houbara Hustard, an internationally protected bird, in Balochistan and Punjab during the hunting season.

The hunting permit holders include the governor of Tabuk and two sons of the former ruler of Saudi Arabia, the late King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

The Houbara Bustard is not only protected under various international conventions and agreements signed by Pakistan, its hunting is also banned under local wildlife protection laws.