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| India-Pakistan |
| Inviting Arabs to hunt is pillar of foreign policy: govt |
| 2015-10-19 |
| [DAWN] The federal government has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider a ban on hunting houbara bustard by foreign dignitaries, saying the restriction was adversely affecting the country's already-weakened relations with the Gulf states in the wake of turmoil in the region. "The petition involved a question of fundamental importance having direct bearing upon foreign relations of the federation with the Gulf states," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pleaded in a petition seeking a review of the Aug 19 verdict. A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by then Chief Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, had ordered the federal and provincial governments not to grant licences or permits to hunt the endangered bird in the future. But the federal government argued that the matter concerned the country's external affairs, matters the superior courts usually avoided interfering with. The review petition pleaded that falconry is a significant feature of Pakistain's relations with Middle Eastern countries. Falconry is not merely a sport for Arabs, but also one of their most cherished customs and recognised as a cultural heritage by Unesco. |
| Posted by:Fred |