A disturbing incident involving the illegal killing of a protected barking deer (locally known as Kakar) in the Margalla Hills National Park has prompted authorities in Islamabad to initiate legal proceedings. Following a widely circulated video showing individuals slaughtering and taking away the deer, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) filed an official complaint, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) at Kohsar Police Station under multiple sections of the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024 and the Pakistan Penal Code.
The matter came to the attention of authorities after a video emerged online showing a group of people slaughtering a barking deer, a Schedule-I protected wildlife species according to the recently enacted Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024. Following an immediate investigation by IWMB field staff, officials identified several suspects involved in the illegal act. Among those accused are Bashir Abbasi, Zareen Abbasi, and other residents from the nearby village of Kuket, Islamabad. It was reportedly confirmed that after killing the deer, the suspects carried the animal’s remains to an undisclosed location.
In response to this shocking incident, IWMB Assistant Director of Wildlife, Malik Shehzad Poonah, promptly submitted the official complaint to initiate legal action against the individuals identified in the video. The incident has been registered under Sections 12(4)(a) and 16(1)(a) of the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024, which strictly prohibit the hunting or harming of protected animal species. Violations of these provisions carry severe penalties, including fines of up to one million Pakistani rupees, imprisonment for up to one year, or both. Additionally, the police booked the suspects under Section 379 of the Pakistan Penal Code, categorizing the crime as theft of state-owned wildlife.
Kohsar Police Station formally registered the FIR (number 726/25), assigning it E-Tag number 1892-KOH-7/4/2025. The station, located approximately six kilometers north of the crime scene, has appointed Sub-Inspector Muhammad Akbar as the investigating officer. IWMB has further requested law enforcement authorities’ assistance in recovering the hunted animal’s carcass, which is considered state property under Section 23 of the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2024 when wildlife species are killed or injured unlawfully.
Senior officials, reflecting concern over the protection of rare and threatened wildlife species in the Margalla Hills National Park, have vowed to take stern action against the offenders. They emphasized that prosecuting the individuals involved to the maximum extent permitted by law will help deter similar incidents and strengthen wildlife conservation efforts in the region.
