LAHORE - Concerned Citizens of Pakistan carrying placards protested outside local fashion designer retail outlet on MM Alam road, voicing their concerns for the Tibetan Chiru antelope which is mercilessly killed to make shahtoosh shawls. The designer recently launched a limited edition collection of thirty shahtoosh shawls and has been promoting it extensively.
The Karachi based designer was quoted as saying, "Look, it's not completely shahtoosh, it's mixed with pashmina. I don't feel controversial about it and nobody else does either." Later, she denied that her shawls are shahtoosh, which have been bought locally, and claimed that she is only using the name as the shawls are actually made of sheep’s wool and pashmina. She also added that everyone understands shahtoosh shawls are actually only wool and pashmina.
 "The designer has made  thirty shawls and according to sources quoted in the local media are being sold by the designer  for Rs 150,000-500,000 which is a very high price for a shawl made of just wool and pashmina," said Muhammad Abubakar protesting at the event.
Environmentalists say that the animal is not found in Pakistan, as it inhabits the Tibetan Plateau, China at an elevation of 10,000-18000ft.
Shahtoosh is illegally made in Indian held Kashmir by skilled artisans who use the antelope's under-fur to make shahtoosh shawls and illegally smuggle them into Pakistan, which is causing serious threats to the survival of this unique species. According to International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Chiru is an endangered species and steps should be taken to protect it from extinction.
Pakistan is also a signatory to the 2012 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which works to protect endangered plants and animals and according to it, trading of body parts including the fur of Chirus in Pakistan is illegal.