PHC summons federal secy in elephants import NOC case.

PESHAWAR -- The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday summoned the federal climate change secretary over a petition filed a wildlife trader against the non-issuance of the no objection certificate for the import of a pair of elephants for the Peshawar Zoo from Zimbabwe.

Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Abdul Shakoor fixed Feb 4 for the next hearing into the petition of the Mohammad Hanif and Engineer Construction Limited director Mohammad Hanif, who requested the court to direct the climate change ministry to issue NOC for the transportation of elephants from Zimbabwe to Peshawar without delay.

The bench directed the secretary to show up and respond to the petitioner's claims.

The petitioner has also prayed the court to direct ministry of climate change to take up the matter with inspector general of forests and head of the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) as well as any other relevant authority to get extension of reasonable time for transportation of the elephants.

He requested the court to direct the respondents, including the ministry of climate change, Peshawar Zoo, provincial forests and wildlife secretary, KP government through the chief secretary, and others, to repay an amount of Rs92 million incurred on acquiring the elephants to the petitioner in case of failure to extend time period for transportation of elephants to the zoo.

Trader seeks court's intervention for animals transportation from Zimbabwe to Peshawar Zoo

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general Shumail Ahmad Butt said the Zimbabwean government had agreed on the export of elephants to Pakistan and officials of Zim Park Wildlife Department, Government of Zimbabwe, had visited Peshawar and found out the site conducive for elephants.

He said the officials had put forward certain suggestions which were also followed by management of the Peshawar Zoo. He said that proper place was allocated in the zoo for the pair of elephants.

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