Stray dogs look from behind bars as they are treated at the animal rehabilitation center in Istanbul Municipality, Turkey, May 27, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS
Dog culling campaigns in Pakistan by various local agencies have regularly drawn criticism from animal rights and welfare groups. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notice to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the city municipality following a petition against the culling of stray dogs.
The court warned the officials that an FIR would be filed against them if they were found involved in the practice.
Eyewitness Naveeda Asim informed the court that on October 9, she saw a vehicle containing at least 200 dead dogs near the CDA office.
Read: Report requested on stray dog control policy
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, who was hearing the case, sought detailed responses from the CDA and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) over the incident.
The court accepted the request of another petitioner, Neelofar, to become a party to the case seeking to implement the stray dog population control policy formulated in 2020, which aimed to vaccinate stray dogs instead of killing them.
Asim’s statement was placed on record. Both women confirmed seeing the truck transporting dead dogs on October 9.
Advocate Altamash Saeed, the petitioner’s lawyer, said the October 9 incident was a blatant violation of the stray dog control policy introduced in 2020.
He informed the court that the case – Islamabad Violence Management Board versus CDA and IMC – was in line with previous legal proceedings regarding the culling of stray dogs. This highlights the continued failure of the authorities in implementing the policy to control the stray dog population, he said.
Saeed said the policy was formulated earlier in 2020 and developed taking into account the principles of human rights and scientific research. Established under the presidency of Dr Ghani Ikram, it aimed to manage the stray dog population through humane and scientific methods rather than culling, he said.
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Saeed added that the policy emphasizes vaccination and sterilization to humanely reduce rabies and dog bites, noting that Islam prohibits killing animals without cause.
He said the petitioners had already obtained justice when the CDA and IMC admitted the allegations in an earlier hearing.
Despite clear guidelines, Saeed argued, the CDA and IMC continue to capture and put down stray dogs, in violation of both policy and court orders.
The court ordered to seek written responses from the two local bodies on the October 9 incident and adjourned the hearing.
