Pakistan to compensate sheikh Dh2.4m for losing falcons

[Al Bhatti]

Jun 1, 2012

Pakistan to compensate sheikh Dh2.4m for losing falcons

The Pakistani government is to pay Dh2.4 million to a UAE sheikh as compensation for losing four of his falcons.

Customs officials citing a lack of paperwork confiscated the birds when the sheikh arrived at Islamabad Airport in March.

According to the Pakistani media outlet, The News, the falcons were then handed over to the country's Wild Life Department (WLD) for care while the dispute was settled.

However, the WLD then asked for and received permission from a local judge to release the birds, which was done without consulting their owner.

An attempt was made to recapture the falcons, which were released in the Murree Forest in Pakistan's Punjab province, but they could not be located.

The sheikh filed a petition to Pakistan's Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), claiming that the incident was "illegal and unjustified".

He also said the officials had an "ulterior purpose" in depriving him of his "valuable birds".

The FTO ordered the Federal Board of Revenue to compensate the sheikh for not only losing the birds - valued at Dh2.3m - but also for causing him "mental and emotional anguish".

The News referred to the incident as a "collective embarrassment" to Pakistan.

Pakistan to compensate sheikh Dh2.4m for losing falcons - The National

 

[ThinkLogic]

USD 650000

that's a atrocious amount

 

[angeldust]

How do you "lose" prized hunting falcons? They have to have been stolen. Otherwise they are trained to home in back to their handlers no matter where they are.

 

[livingdead]

USD 650000

that's a atrocious amount

How much do they cost?

 

[Awesome]

WLD's animal rights activists may have freed them. Illegal to do so - the money should be recovered from them.

 

[ashok321]

So they forked out six crore rupees for nothing.....
This money could have been well spent repairing pakistan's 96 non functional locomotives crying for repairs for long time...

 

[livingdead]

WLD's animal rights activists may have freed them. Illegal to do so - the money should be recovered from them.

offtopic: did you find your bird?

So they forked out six crore rupees for nothing.....
This money could have been well spent repairing pakistan's 96 non functional locomotives crying for repairs for long time...

They had to compensate the guy, its the right thing to do. Yes it would have bought 10 ton of kfc chicken, too.

 

[JonAsad]

How do you "lose" prized hunting falcons? They have to have been stolen. Otherwise they are trained to home in back to their handlers no matter where they are.

Most probably sold by greedy WLD official-

 

[Baby Leone]

according to Pakistani Law capturing these precious birds are illegal thts why WLD & probably animal rights groups free them in jungle

 

[Awesome]

offtopic: did you find your bird?

No and these days another one is a little sick...

 

[notsuperstitious]

I think it would be ghairatful for Pakistan to not allow foreigners to hunt endangered species that Pakistanis themselves are not allowed to hunt in the first place.

 

[Arsalan]

I think it would be ghairatful for Pakistan to not allow foreigners to hunt endangered species that Pakistanis themselves are not allowed to hunt in the first place.

i agree with your point.
but we also need to consider is that these foreigners (mostly Arab Sheikhs) have financed the projects ensuring the safety of these breeds. they are running breeding farms and reserves, paying the staffs they have employed to look after these farms. thus, they get a chance to hunt a few of these (in hunting season). this, if looked as an industry is good for Pakistan. they earn from hunting, they spend on preserving these. the population is on the rise due to these measures!

regards!

 

[Awesome]

The matter of re-compensation should be raised to the court as it is going to be paid from the national exchequer. Guilty party must pay and even be sentenced.

 

[r3alist]

Why the hell did the sheik need to bring his falcons with him and how come there's no insurance on this apparently precious cargo, if he couldn't be bothered to insure against loss why should Pakistan accept liability??

 

[killerx]

lucky sheikh made alot for birds he bought for shi*