Commerce Ministry has reportedly relaxed ban on export of hundreds of live animals for the royal family of Saudi Arabia on the instructions of Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, well informed sources in the Ministry told Business Recorder Commerce Ministry has issued permission for export of live animals at a time when Prime Minister is himself in Saudi Arabia along with his family to perform Umrah.
The sources said Prime Minister had approved the request of the Saudi embassy for export of 2000 goats, 500 cows and 100 camels from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia for the personal use of Prince Saud bin Abdul Rehman bin Naseer bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, a member of Royal Family.
According to sources, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a letter had requested Commerce Ministry for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for export of livestock from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia for personal use of the dignitary. The Foreign Ministry further requested that Pakistan Customs authorities be directed to facilitate transportation of the livestock.
This is not the first time that the Commerce Ministry has allowed export of live animals with the active involvement of Prime Minister House, Finance Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence. "Whenever Commerce Ministry receives such directives from the Prime Minister House and or any other high office, ban on export of live animals is relaxed to facilitate the request," the sources added.
Most of these requests come from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from their royal families as they are fond of meat of Pakistani livestock. Previously such permission was given by the Economic Co-ordination Committee(ECC) of the Cabinet on summaries of Ministry of Food and Agriculture(Now Ministry of National Food Security and Research) but now this is directly dealt with by the Prime Minister''s House, Foreign Ministry, Finance Minister and Commerce Ministry.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gifted a horse to the Emir of Qatar in February after he cancelled his visit to Pakistan due to the controversy arising out of a letter submitted to the Supreme Court by the former Qatari Prime Minister in relation to the Panama Papers case. The Chief of Army Staff also gifts livestock to foreign dignitaries.
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