PESHAWAR: The price of a permit to hunt Pakistan’s endangered Astor markhor suffered a markdown of over $20,000 as compared to last year, as the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) wildlife department on Thursday auctioned licenses for the hunting of over 100 rare species under a trophy hunting program.
The enormous license fee to kill the rare markhor, a long-horned goat native to Pakistan and found in its snowy northern mountains, is one of the highest in the world, with 12 licenses awarded every year in the country-- four of them in GB.
In 2017, a markhor hunting license was auctioned for $100,000-- the highest in the history of trophy hunting. Earlier this year, the GB government had to ban trophy hunting mid-season, owing to the virus outbreak.
Conservationists argue the trophy hunting program, which picked up steam in 1998, prevents poaching and empowers local communities. But this year, COVID-19 has damaged the value of permits with a lower than usual turnout at Thursday’s auction.
“Last year the price of a single markhor license was between $83,000 to $85,000,” Zakir Hussain, chief conservator for forests, parks and wildlife in GB, told Arab News a day after the auction.
This year, he said, the base price of the licenses had to be reduced, with permits selling eventually for roughly $62,000.
But despite the drop in license fees, Hussain said he is grateful hunting season-- which falls between November and April-- will finally bring some financial respite to mountain villages in the wake of the pandemic, which had spelled a near end to incomes dependent on foreign tourism.
Eighty percent of the money received from the trophy hunting program goes to local communities which spend it on education, health and development projects.
The remaining 20 percent of the money is deposited in the government exchequer.
In addition to the steep price tag of the permits, trophy hunting also provides income for local communities as hunting guides and hosts — extra incentives not to poach the markhors, which has led to a rise in the population of the iconic mountain goat.
According to Hussain, more than $18 million have so far been generated from the trophy hunting scheme which includes permits to hunt blue sheep, ibex and urial among other rare species.
“The amount generated by trophy licenses is used in the development of the social sector and health... and to provide loans for people who want to start small businesses,” Irshad Karim, a member of a local villager’s association told Arab News.
The funds he said, were used to build schools, solar panels, girls’ hostels and to give scholarships among other things.
“People here wait all year round just for hunting season to begin, and for some money to start coming in as the cold winter begins,” he said.
Markhors are usually found at heights of 8,000-11,000 ft, but during the winter months descend to between 5,000- 6,000 ft, which is when hunting season kicks off.
License to kill: $85,000 markhor trophy hunting permits suffer pandemic markdowns
https://arab.news/z9b9j
License to kill: $85,000 markhor trophy hunting permits suffer pandemic markdowns
- Earlier this year, Gilgit-Baltistan’s hunting scheme was halted mid-season after virus outbreak
- $18 million in permit fees have been raised, with 80 percent going to local communities
PM Sharif thanks Moroccan authorities for rescue of Pakistani migrants in recent shipwreck
- The boat capsized off Morocco on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said that it is in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked Morocco’s King Muhammad VI and the Moroccan government for the rescue of 22 Pakistani nationals in a shipwreck off the coast of Dakhla city as he met the Moroccan ambassador, Mohamed Karmoune, in Islamabad.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said last week that it was in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy.
Pakistan’s embassy in Rabat has been working closely with Moroccan authorities to oversee the relief efforts and finalize the complex repatriation procedure, according to the Pakistani Foreign Office.
In his meeting with the Moroccan ambassador, Sharif expressed Pakistan’s “deep appreciation” of the Moroccan leadership for the support extended in rescuing stranded Pakistanis who had survived the boat capsize.
“He thanked the local Moroccan authorities for extending their full cooperation to the Pakistani officials involved in repatriation of the survivors as well as the remains of those deceased,” Sharif’s office said.
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests.
Recalling brotherly ties between Pakistan and Morocco at Monday’s meeting, Sharif said there was a need to strengthen trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. Islamabad has been actively pursuing trade and investment opportunities to put the $350 billion South Asian economy on the path of recovery since avoiding a default in mid-2023.
The Moroccan ambassador reaffirmed his country’s commitment to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan across all areas of shared interest, according to Sharif’s office.
“The two sides are working closely to convene meetings of the institutional consultative mechanisms, including Bilateral Political Consultations at an early date,” it added.
Senate body approves controversial bill to amend Pakistan cybercrime law
- The new law aims to set up a social media regulatory authority that will have its own investigation agency and tribunals
- These tribunals will be able to try and punish offenders with prison sentences of up to three years and fines of Rs2 million
ISLAMABAD: A standing committee of Pakistan’s Senate, the upper house of parliament, on Monday approved a bill to amend the country’s cybercrime law, the committee chairman said, amid opposition from journalists and rights groups.
Pakistan’s National Assembly, lower house of parliament, introduced and passed the amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) on Thursday. The amendments were presented in the Senate on Friday and were forwarded to a relevant committee for consideration. After their passage from both houses, the draft will be sent to the president to be signed into a law.
The new regulations will set up a social media regulatory authority that will have its own investigation agency and tribunals, according to a draft on the parliament’s website. Such tribunals will be able to try and punish offenders with prison sentences of up to three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200) for dissemination of “false or fake” information.
In his report, Senator Faisal Rehman, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, said the proposed amendments establish a robust framework for tackling cybercrimes through the creation of a key government mechanism, which will “ensure the protection of the citizens’ digital rights, regulate online content, and promote secure and responsible Internet usage.”
“After detailed discussion, the bill was put to the vote of the committee which was passed by the majority votes,” Senator Rehman said. “The committee recommends that ‘The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025,’ as passed by the National Assembly, may be passed by the House [Senate].”
The draft is expected to be presented before the Senate in the next few days, before being sent to the president for a final nod.
Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told parliament on Thursday the law was introduced to block “false and fake” news on social media, which he said had no specific regulations to govern it.
But the proposed amendments have angered journalism groups and rights activists, which say it is aimed at curbing press freedom.
“We reject this unilateral decision by the government to set up any such tribunals,” Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt told Reuters on Friday. “We also are in favor of regulations, but, you know, a law enforcement agency or a police officer can’t decide what is false or fake news.”
Global human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the amendment will “further tighten” the government’s grip on the “heavily controlled digital landscape” in the South Asian country.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), passed in 2016, triggered widespread criticism from human rights organizations and activists for its potential for “harmful impact” on the right to freedom of expression and access to information in Pakistan.
Reporters Without Borders, an organization that promotes and defends press freedom, ranked Pakistan low on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, at number 152. The group also says Pakistan is one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work.
Ex-PM Khan, wife appeal Pakistan graft convictions
- Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest in Aug. 2023, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended
- A graft court this month found Khan and his wife guilty of ‘corruption’ over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi appealed against their convictions for graft on Monday, his lawyer said.
Khan, 72, has been held in custody since August 2023 charged in around 200 cases that he claims are politically motivated.
The former cricketing star was sentenced to 14 years in jail and his wife to seven this month in the latest case to be brought against them.
“We have filed appeals today and in the next few days it will go through clerical processes and then it will be fixed for a hearing,” Khan’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry told AFP outside Islamabad High Court.
Khan has been convicted four times since his arrest, with two convictions overturned and the sentences in the other two cases suspended.
A special graft court found the pair guilty of “corruption and corrupt practices” over a welfare foundation they established together called the Al-Qadir Trust.
The court hearing for the case was postponed three times and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said earlier it was being used to pressure him into cutting a deal with the government to step back from politics.
Khan alleged before the conviction that he had been “indirectly approached” about the possibility of house arrest at his sprawling home on Islamabad’s outskirts.
Bibi, a faith healer who married Khan shortly before he was elected in 2018, is being held at the same jail as her husband in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad.
Khan’s popularity continues to undermine a shaky coalition government that kept PTI from power in elections last year.
Even from behind bars, Khan has fired off statements through his legal team railing against the government and promising to fight his battles through the courts.
Sometimes violent protests have paralyzed Islamabad in recent months and the party has announced further rallies next month to mark one year since elections that were marred by allegations of rigging.
Khan called off talks with the government last week aimed at easing political tensions.
Ousted from power by a no-confidence vote in 2022, the former cricket star has since launched an unprecedented campaign in which he has openly criticized Pakistan’s powerful generals.
Analysts say the military’s leaders are Pakistan’s kingmakers, although the generals deny interfering in politics.
A UN panel of experts found last year that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office.”
Khan was barred from standing in last February’s election and his PTI party was hamstrung by a widespread crackdown.
PTI won more seats than any other party but a coalition considered more pliable to the military’s influence shut them out of power.
Pakistan sets up pavilion at Arab Health expo to demonstrate health care manufacturing prowess
- The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment, disposables and surgical goods
- Pakistan Pavilion is hosting 40 Pakistani firms at the exhibition, highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has set up its pavilion at the Arab Health 2025 exhibition in Dubai to showcase the South Asian country’s capabilities in health care manufacturing and innovation, the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday.
Arab Health 2025, organized under the patronage of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, is one of the largest and most prestigious health care exhibitions in the world. This year, the event is featuring over 3,800 exhibitors and has attracted more than 60,000 health care professionals and industry leaders from over 70 countries.
The exhibition, running from Jan. 27 till Jan. 30, focuses on nine key product sectors, including medical equipment and devices, disposables and surgical goods, orthopedics and physiotherapy, imaging and diagnostics, general health care services, health care infrastructure, wellness and prevention, health care transformation and health care technology.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Faisal Niaz Tirmizi inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the expo at Dubai World Trade Center, which is hosting 40 leading Pakistani companies under the umbrella of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), highlighting the importance of enhancing Pakistan’s exports across diverse sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth.
“Arab Health has served as an important platform for the health care industry over the past 50 years for collaboration, innovation, and shaping the future of health care,” Ambassador Tirmizi said as he inaugurated the pavilion.
“Our mission is committed to doubling the number of Pakistani exhibitors at next year’s exhibition.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
The Arab Health exhibition also hosts scientific conferences offering insights into the latest trends in health care, advancements in digital health and artificial intelligence and strategic investment opportunities in the sector.
Ambassador Tirmizi emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like Arab Health to foster business-to-business linkages, drive innovation in research and development, and enhance collaboration in digital health care services, according to the Pakistani embassy.
Pakistani exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the arrangements and reiterated the importance of Arab Health in unlocking Pakistan’s export potential in the UAE and the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
Pakistan to invite local businessmen in renewed push to privatize loss-making national airline
- A deal to sell off the Pakistan International Airlines fell through late last year, after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price
- Pakistan hopes the recent opening of European routes, expected to be followed by a similar announcement by the UK, will boost PIA’s selling potential
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has renewed its efforts to privatize the loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and plans on inviting local businessmen to the new bidding process, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.
Pakistan’s government has been scrambling to find a buyer to privatize the debt-ridden airline since late last year, when a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
The airline posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media reports. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.
Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Sharif said a new effort was being carried out to privatize the airline, so that PIA becomes the PIA of its heydays in the ‘60s.
“This time we are inviting Pakistani businessman from Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore,” Sharif said in televised comments. “A new bidding process will be carried out, whichever group wins the bid, PIA will be given to them.”
The development comes weeks after PIA resumed its operations in Europe, with the first flight to Paris on Jan. 10, following a hiatus of four years.
The airline was restricted in 2020 by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country, following a PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. EASA lifted its ban on PIA in November last year, however, the airline remains barred from flying to the UK and the US.
Separately on Monday, a delegation from the UK’s Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority arrived in Pakistan to conduct a safety assessment ahead of the resumption of PIA flight operations between the two countries, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“There will be several high-level meetings between the two sides,” the PCAA said in a statement. “The discussions will examine aviation safety protocols, review documentation, and evaluate operational procedures.”
Pakistan’s government hopes the opening of European routes, which officials expect will be followed by a similar announcement by the UK later this year, will boost PIA’s selling potential.
“We will take PIA back to the slogan ‘Great People To Fly With’,” Sharif said at the Islamabad ceremony. “This is difficult but not impossible.”
