THE ASIAN houbara is an unlikely diplomatic asset. An elusive, desert-dwelling bird, its expression suggests bad temper rather than entente. Yet the migratory, chicken-sized fowl, also known as the Mac-queen's bustard, is considered prized sport by Arab falconers. Its meat is also thought to be an aphrodisiac. For decades dignitaries from the Gulf have been visiting Pakistan to hunt, as the number of houba-ras has dwindled in their own countries and as hunting has become dangerous in other places, such as Iraq and Syria. That has given Pakistan a special opportunity to butter up Gulf potentates.
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