Islamabad: The fortified walls of Pakistan`s
presidency have failed to keep out a group of wild boars,
whose frequent intrusions into the sprawling grounds of Asif Ali Zardari`s official residence are proving irksome for
caretakers and residents.
The boars were freely entering the presidency despite
foolproof security arrangements, including fencing and other
preventive measures, an unnamed official was quoted as saying
by the Dawn newspaper today.
The boars enter the presidency from the Margalla Hills
National Park located behind it.
The animals enter the grounds mostly through "nullahs and
manholes", a security official said.
"Conventional methods" are used to kill the boars, whose
population is "growing with every passing day", he said.
Officials of the Capital Development Authority too said
they were taking steps to restrict the movement of the boars
within the presidency, which is spread over 471 acres, half of
it covered by trees and bushes that provide a safe hideout for
the fast breeding animals.
CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the boars were being
killed by feeding them wheat grains dipped in poison.
This, he said, was the "best way to kill them".
The CDA also issues free hunting licences for wild boars,
Sajid said.
Another official said the boars breed at a "very fast
pace" and their population in jungles close to the presidency
may be in the hundreds.
The biggest problem is limiting the movement of the boars
into the highly protected presidency, he said.
The official insisted that the wild boars were a problem
for the whole of Islamabad.
Boars are a common sight in some parts of the city,
especially those located at the foothills of the Margallas, at
night and can be seen searching for food in large groups.
PTI
