Guest post by Saad K.
The start of spring marks the end of the hunting season in Pakistan. It also marks the end of the stay of some of nature’s guests that fly back to their homeland having fulfilled their annual migration from the winter cold of the fall-away Soviet states to the relative warmth of Balouchistan and Sindh particularly the Chaghi District and the Sanghar/Sukkur area. Of course, some leave heavily depleted in numbers having been hunted vigorously by the Sheikhs of various Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar. One of the migratory birds that suffers the most in Pakistan is the houbara bustard that is currently on the endangered species list.
Since 1972 Pakistanis have been banned from hunting the houbara bustard following from the fact that Pakistan is signatory to at least three international conventions that require the protection of the bird. However, the same limit on hunting does not apply to the various foreign rulers that come in their Learjets, customised Boeings, and C130s with their entourage numbering in the hundreds. In fact, in November 2006 the federal government at the directive of the prime minister issued 23 ‘special houbara bustard hunting permits’ specifically to these rulers. This in spite of national law and the fact that wildlife is a provincial subject. As a result, at least 6,000 of the birds have been killed in the least three/ four winter months which means that this year at least 10% of the total bird population has been wiped off.
The reason for the sheikhs’ obsession with the bird stems from Arab tradition but mainly from the belief that the houbara’s meat is aphrodisiacal whereas it is actually diuretic [increases urine excretion- surprising the sheikhs fail to realise this]. This tradition has moved eastwards towards Pakistan for the obvious reason that by the late 1960s the same rulers had wiped off the houbara population in their own countries. This is no surprise for two reasons: As generations pass, the wives increase in numbers, so do their offspring and as a result they have more stomachs to feed. However, that is not as unfortunate as the fact that technological advances have made the fight between the sheikhs the houbara very uneven. Traditionally, in flight falcons and on the ground camels were used to chase and hunt. Now, the Merc is the camel and even though the falcon is still used to add flavour most in flight tracking is done by radar and satellite technology. Therefore, as the hunt becomes easier by the year it is near certain that the bird’s population will be near extinct in the next decade, at least in Pakistan.
The excuse used by the government is that the sheikhs contribute to the local infrastructural developments. Taking this argument at its face value for a mere second would reveal how inanely short sighted the government is:
- Would they continue to provide the locals with the same infrastructure (such as private airports which are very useful for the locals who have Learjets of their own) once the houbara has been wiped off?
- Why has there been no limit been placed on the number of houbaras that can be hunted in order to protect the species?
It is more likely that the reason for allowing such hunts is that the prime minister was/is private banker to some of these sheikhs and that these rulers come bearing expensive gifts such as the gold plated AK 47 gifted to the now deceased Nawab Akbar Bugti as well as suitcases full of cash for those that entertain them. It maybe remembered that these Arab expeditions became a norm in the 1980s when one, Agha Hassan Abadi (started BCCI bank), another private banker to the rich used to invite the same rulers and their camels to hunt. As the hunt parties increased in numbers so did the deposits in BCCI.
Of course, given the many things always happening in Pakistan a bird would hold little importance. Neither political parties nor lawyers would be expected to take issue with such a ‘trivial’ matter especially given that most of the former (politicians) are part of the sheikhs’ entourage at the time of hunting. At the same time, what maybe considered to be an even worse result and is certainly not trivial even by the politicians’ standards coming out of these hunts in Pakistan (every year since inception) are the child camel jockeys illegally taken to satisfy another Arab tradition and sport- camel racing. These jockeys are not taken from the cities of Pakistan but from the ‘poor’ areas in which the hunts are carried out. Just like the houbara, these children end up dying, for nothing. I would hope that if it is not for sake of the elegant bird that is the houbara then at least for these children that the sheikhs are rendered unwelcome by the government. I doubt that either would/has/will effect[ed] its conscience.
If you want to read the fascinating story of a journalist who once went ‘Hunting with the Sheikhs’ read http://offroadpakistan.com/downloads/Hunting_with_the_Sheikhs.pdf - published in the New Yorker in 1992.
It’s amazing how we love to suck up to these Sheikhs and the American governments. Every single government that steps up to the plate submits to the whims and fancies of these people.
I remember the shock I felt when I heard last year that the Frere Hall (one of my favourite buildings in Karachi) garden had been split by a road built through it so that the American consul general could have safe passageway from his official residence to the consulate twice a day, morning and evening.
It is interesting to note that the consulate serves very little purpose apart from limiting or, at times, restricting access to the city’s most important vehicular artery. Even the visas are now issued exclusively in Islamabad after fingerprinting.
As a nation we have learnt to compromise. Unfortunately, we compromise on the enforcement of our own laws and regulations. What is the point of issuing permits to Arab Sheikhs? When they kill houbara bustards their population reduces. When Pakistanis kill houbara bustards their population reduces. So, why the discrimination?
The Arabs sell us subsidised oil!
Why would anyone else respect us when we don’t respect ourselves? A while back the Iranian football team went to a European country (can’t remember which one, might have been Germany for the World Cup) to play and they said they would not eat where pork or ham was being served. The hotel removed all pig meat from their premises and did not serve it for the entire Iranian stay.
It is only when you don’t consider youself any less than others that you can make them respect you, your laws, your traditions and your values.
We (as a nation) continue to kow-tow to the needs of foreigners to accomodate them; all the while, as you say sacrificing our respect, our laws, our traditions and our values but most of all our principles! The fact is that neither the government nor you/I can lay claim to anything that is Pakistani. That is especially true of our heritage, our culture and our environment- because we are mere guardians and torch-carers of all three and our job will be done if we can pass them onto the future generations without harming any. However, as we continue to chop away each (including the houbara and Frere Hall), slowly but surely there will be nothing to pass on and even the Americans and the Sheikhs will turn away in disgust at the people who sold everything in the name of flawed ‘national interests’.
I guess centuries of pillaging of the subcontinent starting with Muhammad Bin Qasim’s invasion of Sindh didn’t satisfy them? Now they must kill the birds as well. They make me sick.
I vividly remember a case in mid 1970s when some Sheikhs sexually assaulted underaged girls during a hunting trip to PK - one died and other injured. I do not know the fate of several other who suffered in their hands. But the point is that these bastards need to be put in the box they belong.
Pakistan does receive subsidized oil but it has over 14,000 army mercenaries in the Saudi Arabia to protect the beloved king from his kins. Frankly speaking the only benificiay of this Arab-Pak relationship has been our military (and civilian bureaucrats who go for even lower price i.e. all paid Haj)
For some young people let me mention that before the oil boom blinded and spoiled the Arabs, zakat was regularly collected in India and Pakistan for the House of Saud. Nawab of Hyderabad was very generous in this regard. Pakistanis also provided charity for the “Ghilaf-e-Kaba” since the keepers of the holy places could not afford it - but that was before and now charity flows in the opposite direction…
Pakistanis will continue to be fooled until “Islam” and “Arabs” are not decoupled.