PISHIN: Three individuals have been arrested for illegally hunting a Markhor in the Bostan region of Pishin, Balochistan. The arrest followed a successful operation by local authorities to curb illegal wildlife activities in the area.
According to Deputy Commissioner Zahid Khan, the operation led to the recovery of a Markhor that had been killed in the region. The suspects, identified as Izhar Khan, Masoor Khan, and Saddam Khan, have been charged with illegal hunting under the Wildlife Act.
Two of the arrested men, Izhar Khan and Masoor Khan, are reportedly employed by the Balochistan Constabulary and the Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA). The accused allegedly hunted the Markhor in the restricted area of Taktou, a known habitat for the endangered species.
A case has been registered against the suspects, and legal proceedings are currently underway. The operation is part of ongoing efforts to protect wildlife in the region, particularly the Markhor, which is classified as endangered.
In a related incident, back in 2021, a tourist shot and injured a Markhor in the scenic valley of Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The animal was later rescued after falling into a river near the Garam Chasma road. Officials from the KP wildlife department confirmed the animal’s recovery following extensive efforts.
Following the Chitral incident, KP MPA Faisal Amin Khan took to Twitter, announcing that a first information report (FIR) had been filed against the culprits at the Chitral police station. This came after a social media post shared by a local visitor mentioned encountering the Markhors near the river, highlighting their importance in the region’s biodiversity.
