Duck Shooting Season Begins: Time to Quit This Sadistic Hobby

CHITRAL: The duck hunting season has begun across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Chitral. The crux of reports published by Urdu news websites is given below:

‘The 2026–27 waterfowl and duck hunting season has officially started following a notification by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department. In Chitral, hunters have begun preparing and constructing duck-shooting ponds along the Chitral River.

According to the notification issued by Chief Conservator Dr. Mohsin Farooq, hunting will be allowed only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until December 31, 2026. The annual Small Game Shooting Licence fee is Rs. 5,000, while the special duck-hunting fee is Rs. 100 per day per gun. A hunter may shoot a maximum of five birds per gun per day.

Hunting before sunrise or after sunset, and the use of electronic devices and call birds, is prohibited. Hunting is also banned in 53 designated wetlands, dams, lakes and rivers across the province.

Meanwhile, non-hunting residents of Chitral have called for a complete ban on the construction of duck ponds along the river. They say barriers made from sand- and soil-filled cement bags can obstruct water flow, collect debris and contribute to a rise in the river level during summer. They have urged the authorities to review the practice and ensure strict enforcement of the rules’.

But a more fundamental question needs to be asked: why do we need a duck-hunting season at all?

Why should people pursue a hobby that involves killing beautiful birds that cause no harm to the environment and, in fact, add beauty to nature? As Muslims, should we not remember that Allah is ‘Rabb-ul-Alameen’ – the Lord of all worlds, and that we follow a Prophet described as Rahmat-ul-lil-Alameen – a mercy to all the worlds?

Why can we not show mercy to these creatures, which ask nothing from us except the freedom to live and complete the existence Allah has given them? And how can we expect Allah’s mercy when we show cruelty towards His creation?  In an age of advanced knowledge, science and reasoning, why should we continue such primitive practices simply to satisfy our sadistic egos?

Perhaps it is time to rethink our attitude towards wildlife—not only in terms of laws and licences, but also in terms of humanity, faith and compassion. ..  CN Report, 24 Sept 2026