For the first time in the history of Punjab Wildlife, a court in Rahim Yar Khan has sentenced four accused to a total fine of Rs. 4 million and one year of rigorous imprisonment on charges of illegal hunting of a Chinkara deer. In case of non-payment of the fine, an additional six months of imprisonment will be imposed.
The Wildlife Rangers of Rahim Yar Khan had registered a case of Chinkara deer hunting in 2023 in the Cholistan Desert. The case was heard in the Civil Court of Tehsil Khanpur under challan number 06-WI/2023, where Assistant Chief Wildlife Ranger Mujahid Kaleem Khan pursued the case.
The court found all four accused — Saleem Sargodhi, Sadiq Mangria, Pannu Mangria, and Rafiq Parhiyar — guilty of illegal hunting and sentenced each of them to one year in prison along with a fine of Rs. 1 million each. After the verdict was announced, the accused were arrested and shifted to jail.
According to Mujahid Kaleem Khan, this decision is a significant development in preventing illegal hunting in the Cholistan Public Wildlife Reserve, as it will send a strong message to hunters that such crimes will no longer be tolerated.
In 2021, the Punjab government amended the Wildlife Act, increasing punishments and fines. Under the new law, illegal hunting of blackbuck, Chinkara, hog deer, or urial can result in imprisonment of one to three years and a minimum fine of Rs. 200,000 per animal, which can go up to a maximum of Rs. 1 million.
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The Cholistan Desert is Pakistan’s second-largest desert and holds unique importance for wildlife. It is home to blackbuck, Chinkara, nilgai, urial, and various species of birds. However, over the past several decades, illegal hunting has severely affected the population of these animals.
