Officials in Islamabad have initiated legal proceedings following the illegal killing and removal of a protected barking deer (locally known as “Kakar”) from Margalla Hills National Park. A viral video of the incident prompted immediate action by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against several identified individuals.
Assistant Director Wildlife of IWMB, Malik Shehzad Poonah, formally submitted the complaint based on video footage widely shared online. The disturbing video reportedly captures a group of individuals, including Bashir Abbasi, Zareen Abbasi, and others from the Islamabad village of Kuket, engaging in the unlawful killing and subsequent removal of the deer carcass to an undisclosed location.
The barking deer is a Schedule I protected species according to the recently enacted Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024. Killing, harming, or illegally taking protected wildlife under Sections 12(4)(a) and 16(1)(a) of this act constitutes a crime punishable with penalties of up to one million rupees per violation, imprisonment for one year, or both. Additionally, the culprits have been charged under Section 379 of the Pakistan Penal Code, recognizing the offense as theft of state-owned wildlife property.
The FIR, recorded as police report No. 726/25 and assigned E-Tag No. 1892-KOH-7/4/2025 at Kohsar Police Station, has been entrusted to Sub-Inspector (SI) Muhammad Akbar, who is leading the investigation. The IWMB has called upon authorities to aid in the urgent recovery of the deer remains, emphasizing that under Section 23 of the wildlife law, any animal injured or killed due to unlawful human actions is considered government property.
Senior officials have firmly committed to ensuring strict enforcement measures and holding responsible parties to full legal accountability, aiming to deter future wildlife-related crimes within the nationally protected Margalla Hills region.
