A photo showing Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mehsud posing next to over a dozen hunted partridges has sparked outrage on social media.
The commissioner is the son of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Dost Muhammad Mehsud. The birds in the photograph were reportedly endangered black and grey partridges.
Native to Eurasia, both species of birds are vulnerable to climate change, habitat loss, and overhunting. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the black partridge on its Red List of Threatened Species. The grey partridge is evaluated as ‘of least concern’ on the IUCN’s Red List.
“Hunting endangered species just for fun is highly condemnable,” wrote one social media user. “Will any action be taken against him?”
Hunting endangered species just for fun is highly condemnable. #RiazMehsud, the commissioner of #Peshawar, audaciously poses for a photo with poached partridges.What is the #PTI govt doing? Will any action be taken against him? Or are the laws only for the poor? @ajitsinghpundir pic.twitter.com/v2LYTiVeS3
— Afrah Shah (@afrahshah1) February 18, 2022
Govt should take action against Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mehsud S/O PTI’s FATA senator Dost Muhammad Mehsud for killing endangered partridges pic.twitter.com/TMwPVTCbxQ
— MNA (@Engr_Naveed111) February 18, 2022
Journalist Asad Ali Toor said, “Will PTI [Government] which claims to be custodian of wildlife take action against him? Hunting of endangered species is on the rise in PTI’s Govt.”
“Clearly, trophy hunting is no big deal for the ministers in [PTI Government]” wrote one commentator. “In 2021, they had invited eleven members of the UAE royal family to hunt the internationally protected and highly vulnerable Hubara Bustard in Pakistan‘s Panjgur district.”
Clearly, trophy hunting is no big deal for the ministers in #PTIGovernment. In 2021, they had invited eleven members of the UAE royal family to hunt the internationally protected and highly vulnerable #Hubara Bustard in #Pakistan's Panjgur district. https://t.co/E18BStSdmA
— Vishal Sehgal (@VishalSehgal4U) February 18, 2022
While it is unclear where the photo was taken, in 2020 the Punjab Wildlife Protection Department approved partridge hunting in the province, restricting it to Sundays from November to February and requiring hunters to obtain a licence. Hunting is prohibited in wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
All the elite of Pakistan think they are above the law– now a days it is their breeding season. Shame on him—
Hunting these birds in November to February through a license and on sundays is not a crime. Maximum 5 birds may be shot by one person. So for 3 people number of allowed birds will become 15. And usually hunters goes in group. So its clear he would have been accompanied by other hunters as well.