The horse gift controversy refuses to die down. According to official documents available with Business Recorder, the Ministry of Defence approached the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on January 17, 2017 for "Grant of special exemption to export one horse to Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar as gift," which explicitly stated that GHQ [General Headquarters] had requested special exemption for export of the horse.
The Ministry of Defence informed the ECC that Pakistan Army breeds horses of high quality for operational, recreational and ceremonial purposes. These fine quality horses are gifted to friendly states as a goodwill gesture. In this regard, the GHQ had proposed to present one horse on behalf of the Army Chief to the Emir of Qatar.
The Ministry of Defence also disclosed that the Animal Husbandry Commissioner Islamabad, Ministry of National Food Security and Research had revealed that the ECC had imposed a ban on export of live animals. During a discussion in the ECC, the secretary commerce stated that according to the revised Export Policy Order (EPO), such exemptions are granted by the Prime Minister on the recommendations of the Ministry of Commerce.
After a brief discussion, the ECC recommended special exemption for export of one horse and directed the Ministry of Defence to submit the case for approval to the Prime Ministry through Ministry of Commerce. In June 2016, the ECC had accorded approval for gifting four horses to the royal families of Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Inexplicably Deputy Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aftab Hasan Khan on January 24, 2017 wrote a letter to Pakistan Embassy in Doha instructing it to seek flight clearance for a C-130 special aircraft to transport the gifted horse.
"A special aircraft (C-130) carrying a horse will travel to Qatar on February 01, 2017. The horse is a gift from the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the Emir of the State of Qatar," stated the letter by the deputy chief of protocol.
Pakistan Air Force [PAF] in a statement on February 01, 2017, termed the airlifting of the horse to Qatar in a C-130 aircraft as baseless and incorrect.
However, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb was quoted by a private channel as stating that the horse was to be gifted to Emir of Qatar about six month ago when he was scheduled to visit Pakistan but the visit did not take place. "He [Emir of Qatar] didn't come to Pakistan that is why the horse has been sent to him now," she added.