Wildlife officials in Pakistan seize snakeskin sandals meant for PM Imran Khan

A famous Pakistani shoe-maker, who was apparently making special sandals for Prime Minister Imran Khan from snakeskin, is in trouble for violating country's Wildlife Act.  

Officials from Wildlife Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa raided shop of popular shoe-maker oruddin Chacha in Jehangir Pura Bazar in interior Peshawar City and confiscated two pairs of snakeskin sandals famous as 'Kaptaan special chappals' being me as Eid gift for Prime Minister Khan. y also arrested a salesman from shop.

District Forest Officer (DFP) Abdul Haleem Marwat informed that he went to shop of oruddin as a customer and asked for a sandal from salesman. He was shown a sandal priced at Rs 40,000. When asked as to why it is so expensive, salesman replied that it has been me of snakeskin and will be gifted to cricketer-turned-politician Khan, kwn as 'Kaptaan'.

After verification, sandals were seized and salesman was arrested.

sandals have been sent to a lab for proper verification and furr action would be taken after receiving report, officer said.

RE| Pakistan PM Imran Khan Makes 'Japanese Religion' Reference To World War 2 Kamikaze Attacks At OIC, Netizens Call It Bizarre

shoe-maker claimed that serpentine material h been sent from US to shop to craft two pairs, one for dor and one for Prime Minister Khan to slip on.

sale and purchase of snakeskin is illegal under Pakistan's Wildlife Act, 2015. According to Act, one is allowed to possess any wild or exotic animal (de or alive) without a valid certificate or licence. 

In 2015, tritional Peshawari chappal or sandal was launched by oruddin as Kaptaan Chappal.

" special double-soled Peshawari chappal h been in fashion since long but when I gifted a pair of this especially designed new brand to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leer Imran Khan on his wedding, shoe became an instant favourite with all and sundry, oruddin h told Dawn back n.

RE| Imran Khan In Hot Water For 'insult' To King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Of Saudi Arabia, Here's What Happened

He h said that soon after, several ministers and Pashtun population in Gulf states began placing orders for Kaptaan Chappal in large numbers.

Minister for Environment Ishtiaq Urmur said making sandals from snakeskin was illegal.

" matter who sandals were being me for, an illegal act would never be tolerated. If it is proven that sandals were indeed me of snakeskin n cobbler will have to face legal consequences as well as a fine provided he shows necessary documentation that it was (legally) imported, he said.