In response to the alarming report that a Qatari prince has been issued a permit for hunting endangered houbara bustard birds in Pakistan, one must admit that the global wildlife enthusiasts are completely losing hope on Pakistan in protecting its precious wildlife and biodiversity miserably.

No appreciable conservation efforts are being adopted by Pakistan for protecting local biodiversity and what remains is being exposed to merciless killing by rich Gulf country elites for a few dollars and for enhancing business and diplomatic ties.

The decision of the Pakistani Government seeks to continue allowing merciless killing of precious wildlife and destruction of biodiversity with no long term sustainable conservation efforts to protect endangered species of the country.

If this continues year after year it will be necessary to initiate a global protest to put pressure on Pakistan to protect the endangered wildlife and an international tourism boycott for failing to protect her helpless endangered species.

Saikat Kumar Basu, Canada

Unification

Congratulations to Pashupati Shumshere Rana and Kamal Thapa for taking the bold step to unify their parties “Rana-led RPP unifies with Thapa-led RPP-N” (THT, November 22, Page 1)!

The people of this country can now look forward to some great changes for the better in the country in the coming days.

They should now expand their base by inducing highly capable Nepalis to further their as well as country’s development agenda. It is also important that we give a facelift to the image of the country in the international stage.

The recent Hong Kong fiasco is ominous for the Nepali image, which this unified party can improve. Both the parties of former Panchas had planned to unify before Dashain festival. But it was abruptly cancelled due to some factors not made to the public.

As per the political understanding, Thapa will be the parliamentary party leader of the unified party and Rana will act as its figurehead for some time until the leadership baton is handed down to Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, a Rana loyalist.

Interesting to note is that the Rana-faction has accepted Kamal Thapa’s assertion that Nepal should be declared a Hindu republic because more than 82 percent population follow Hinduism.

If the unified RPP is really committed to make the country a Hindu republic it is time that its leaders boldly championed for this cause as the major parties are trying to make the second constitutional amendment to appease the agitating Madhesi parties.

If Madhesi parties’ demands of redrawing the boundaries of Pradeshes can be addressed why can RPP’s demand of replacing the “secular state” with that of the “Hindu republic” not be fulfilled?

As the CPN-UML has aired its resentment over the second amendment the RPP holds the key to constitutional amendment process as the strength of the ruling and Madhesi parties is not enough to make a two-thirds majority.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu