LAHORE: Wildlife & Parks Department Punjab has launched a crackdown on hotels and restaurants offering meat of wild animals and birds (banned) across the province to snub illegal hunting of these species.

The Department resorted to this crackdown after appearance of such information of social media and complaints lodged by citizen on Prime Minister’s Citizen Portal.

Following these complaints, Punjab Minister for Wildlife Syed Samsam Ali Bokhari directed the Gujranwala Region which constituted a special squad which conducted raids at hotels and restaurants situated in the area of Sialkot Motorways. The team recovered frozen meat of Para Deer (Hog Deer) and Drakes.

Three persons were arrested on charge of offering meat of banned wildlife species and handed over to Police Station Saddar Daska. They will be presented before the court for further proceedings.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the department claimed that due to efforts made by the department and civil society of Gujranwala, now no meat of banned species is being offered on hotels of Gujranwala.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022