Rare Deer slaughtered in Islamabad’s Margalla Hills sparks public outrage

ISLAMABAD: A viral clip of slaughtering rare species of deer sparked outrage among people, and officials in the capital ordered a probe under wildlife protection legislation.

Following the horrific act, the Wildlife Department registered a formal complaint at a concerned police station, asking for action under the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024.

The barking deer, whose species was used in the case, is a protected animal according to Schedule One of the Act.

Offices are taking legal action under Sections 12.4(a) and 16.1(a), which prescribe a maximum Rs1 million fine and one year’s imprisonment for the offence. According to Section 23 of the act, dead wild animals are also property of the federal government.

The complaint was lodged against two individuals by name, Bashir Abbasi and Zain Abbasi, and other unknown suspects.

The case is ongoing with officials trying to get to the bottom of the affair and bring the perpetrators to book.

The shocking incident was at Margalla Hills National Park, where three people allegedly shot and killed a rare breed of deer in daylight.

Footage of the incident went viral on the internet, raising an outcry among the public and prompting government probes.

The suspects are seen slaughtering the deer along the roadside. One of them then proceeded to carry the body of the animal on his shoulders. When confronted by tourists, the men identified themselves as workers of the Capital Development Authority‘s (CDA) Environment Protection Department.

Witnesses also said that there was a CDA forest guard present at the scene, who watched from a distance with a wireless receiver as the act took place.

Capital Development officials have denied that their staff members were involved in the hunting. Instead, the official stated that the deer had been injured before and had been killed to spare it any suffering. But nothing much was said to quell public anxiety, particularly because a formal investigation has been initiated to find out who fired the fatal shot.