LAHORE: The Lahore High Court issued on Monday notices to the Punjab environment secretary, the wildlife department and the Environment Protection Agency on a petition for conservation of endangered black bucks.

As the court resumed hearing, petitioner`s counsel Sheraz Zaka said that severalincidents had been reported regarding theft of black bucks in Bahawalpur.

He said the respondent departments should be asked as to what remedial measures had been taken for the protection of blackbucks and to implement environmental policy 2015 for the protection of wildlife.

He said that black buck was a protected animal under the Punjab Wildlife Act of 1972 and in the neighbouring country India it was also referred as an endangered species.

A provincial law officer objected to the maintainability of the petition and said the matter fell within the territorial jurisdiction of high court`s Bahawalpur bench.

He asked the court to dismiss the plea for being not maintainable.

Justice Ayesha A. Malik issued notices to the respondent departments for Nov 22.