A court in Rahim Yar Khan has transmitted the first condemnation of Punjab for the illegal hunting of deer of Chinkara, sentencing four men for a year in prison along with fines for a total of 4 million rupees, with an additional prison time of six months in case of non -payment.
The case was registered in 2023 by the wildlife Rangers Rahim Yar Khan after a poaching incident in the Cholistan desert. The procedures were carried out in the civil court of Khanpur, with the wardrobe assistant Chief Wildlife Mujahid Kaleem Khan studying the case.
The convicted individuals, Salem Sargodhi, Sadiq Mangria, Pannu Mangria and Rafiq Parhiyar were arrested immediately after the verdict.
The Wildlife Viger Mujahid Kaleem Khan ranger waved welcomed the ruling, qualifying it as a significant deterrent element against future furtive fighters in the Cholistan Public Wildlife Reserve.
Read: The Punjab Silvestre Department of Wildlife houses more than 125 FIR against illegal hunting
“This decision sends a clear message to hunters that such crimes will no longer be tolerated,” he said.
The trial follows the amendments to the Punjab Wildlife Law in 2021, which increased punishments for wildlife crimes. According to the law reviewed, the illegal hunting of Blackbuck, Chinkara, Hog Deer or Urial entails one or three years in prison and fines ranging from RS200,000 to RS1 million per animal.
The Wildlife Bahawalpur Wildlife, Syed Ali Usman Bukhari, reaffirmed the commitment of the department to protect and conserve wildlife in Cholistan, the second largest desert in Pakistan.
Despite being the home of Blackbuck, Chinkara, Nilgai, Urial and numerous bird species, decades of poaching have led to a strong decrease in their populations.
