PESHAWAR: The issue of the Markhor trophy hunt in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains unresolved, as a disagreement intensifies between the federal government and the provincial wildlife department over the non-exportable quota for hunting Markhor, Ibex, and Grey Goral.
The Chief Conservator of Wildlife addressed the matter through a letter to the Secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forestry Department, where he pointed out that the federal government, without any prior consultation, declared non-exportable hunting banned. The letter went on to say that a non-exportable quota had been given for the hunting of six Markhor in Kohistan and Chitral in October 2024, which the provincial wildlife department had successfully monitored in line with the set quota.
However, the federal CITES Management Authority’s recent ban contradicts previous decisions, as approval for the non-exportable quota of Markhor, Ibex, and Grey Goral had already been granted. According to the Chief Conservator, non-exportable trophy hunting falls under the provincial jurisdiction, and the provincial government’s position on this matter is entirely correct.
The letter further revealed that the provincial government had completed the auction for hunting permits, which included 10 Markhor, 31 Ibex, and 6 Grey Goral. The auction for the Markhor non-exportable permits for this season alone generated a revenue of $553,000.
The letter also raised concerns that objections to the non-exportable hunting quotas could damage the country’s international reputation.
The newest figures show that the Markhor population in the province is 6,222, the Ibex is 2,920, and the Grey Goral population is 394, all of which are above the number of animals for which hunting permits are to be issued.
In contrast, the Secretary of the Forestry Department, Junaid Khan, claimed that the case would be settled through legal means and with the support of federal agencies. He stressed that the wildlife populations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are higher than the required standards and that the income generated from the Markhor permits will be allocated for the development of mountain regions.
