By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: Signifying the date of Independence, 14 exotic avian predators, tagged with Pakistani flag and bearing the flag’s motif-codes, were released into the air at Kashmir Stadium, Margalla Road on Saturday, in connection with the Independence Day celebrations.
Various majestic birds released on the event, belonged to the categories included in the IUCN list of diminishing species as a unique way to celebrate Independence Day. The extraordinary show was organized under the auspices of the East Continental Falconry and Aviary (ACFA) Pakistan.
The strikingly discernable and marked idea was dreamt-up by Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Hafi, a cross-disciplinary researcher in applied and normative sciences, who acted as the patron of the patriotic activity.
Besides the common citizens and media representatives, many dignities including the United Nations Strategic Officer Shah Nasir also attended the event, and released the majestic eagle into the marvellous Margalla Hills of the federal capital.
Birds released by the notables include Merlin Falcon, Booted Eagle, Bonelli Eagle,Hybrid Spotted Eagle, Hawks and different Buzzards etc. To mark the historic occasion, ECFA released a distinctive Bonelli, established and verified to have the biggest hallux-claw and talon amongst all of the same species birds kept in the aviaries and zoos world over.
It was a unique and rare sight to see 14 eagles and falcons getting their independence on the day when the Shaheens of Allama Iqbal got their independence from the British Rule as well as the oppressive Hindu majority in Subcontinent 74 years ago.
The event was also marked as the activity to commemorate the ideological metaphor of Iqbal’s personification of eagles and falcons as a national symbol of motivation for the youth, to strive always to achieve their set goals.
“In spite of its esteemed place in the ancient cultures, eagle remains an extensive institutional emblem of the modern times as well. Well sustaining in the thematic cores of nationalistic ideologies, different species of eagles and falcons keep on to be the national symbols of almost 20 nations, even today, whilst hundreds of motivational, inspirational, stirring and even nationalistic ideologies carry on to be centred around eagles†, enlightened Prof. Aurangzeb Hafi while marking the extravagant patriotic event.
Event coordinators Dr. Fraz Mian, Capt. Hamza and Waleed Aadeel hoped the occasion would help stress the need for preserving the rare species of birds and highlight the significance of ornithology as a characteristic science for self-actualization.
The remarkable event’s organizer, East Continental Falconry and Aviary (ECFA) Pakistan is one of its own kinds and is dedicated to retain rare species, unusual bloodlines and distinct heritages of eagles, falcons, hawks and harriers.
A flagship project and part of the Ornithology Research Initiative (ORI) Pakistan, it is the prime explorative observatory of ornithology in South Asian region, dreamt up and conserved by Prof. Dr. Aurangzeb Al Hafi. Prof A.Z. Hafi is a post-doctoral principal investigator and an ornithologist as well.
Recently he was chronicled amongst ‘Top of the Top 10’ extravagantly towering silhouettes, who were shortlisted out of 1.6 million notables from over 190 countries by the ‘Impact Hallmarks’ for 1st of the 21st Century’s “Bi-Decadal Impacts Gazette.
