KP Sells 4 Markhor Hunting Permits for Massive Amount of Money

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has auctioned four markhor hunting permits for a staggering $1.21 million, or around Rs. 335.7 million. Dr. Mohsin Farooqi chaired the auction, which took place in Chitral and Kohistan regions. Permit Toshi-II garnered the highest bid, reaching $335,600 or about Rs. 92.97 million. Last year, the top bid was $272,000, roughly Rs.

75.35 million. The other permits attracted competitive offers as well: Toshi-I fetched $320,600, approximately Rs. 88.8 million. Gehrait Gol received $260,000, or roughly Rs. 72 million. Kaigah Khwar yielded a bid of $295,600, equivalent to about Rs. 81.8 million. Collectively, the four permits generated $1,211,800 in auction revenue.

The revenue sharing agreement stipulates that 80% of the proceeds will be allocated to local community welfare and wildlife conservation, while the remaining 20% will be kept in the government treasury. This revenue distribution strategy directs most of the auction income to the communities in the hunting areas and supports conservation efforts, rather than funneling the entire amount to the provincial treasury.