Stray dogs look out from behind bars as they undergo treatment at the Istanbul Municipality Animal Rehabilitation Center in Istanbul, Turkey, May 27, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS
Dog cull drives in Pakistan by various local bodies have consistently been met with criticism from animal rights and welfare groups. On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) put the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the city’s municipal corporation on notice over a petition against the killing of stray dogs.
The court warned officials that an FIR would be lodged against them if they were found involved in this practice.
Eyewitness Naveeda Asim informed the court that on October 9, she saw a vehicle carrying at least 200 dead dogs near the CDA’s office.
Read: Report sought on control of stray dogs
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, who heard the case, asked for detailed responses from CDA and Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) over the incident.
The court accepted the plea of another petitioner, Neelofar, to join the suit for the implementation of the stray dog control policy drafted in 2020, which aimed to vaccinate stray dogs instead of killing them.
Asim’s statement was made part of the post. Both women confirmed witnessing the truck carrying dead dogs on October 9.
Advocate Altamash Saeed, the petitioner’s lawyer, said the October 9 incident was a clear 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 – is in line with earlier court cases involving the killing of stray dogs. It underlines the continued failure of the authorities in the implementation of the stray dog population control policy, he claimed.
Saeed said the policy was drafted earlier in 2020 and developed keeping in mind human rights principles and scientific research. Established under Dr. Ghani Ikram’s presidency aimed to manage the stray dog population through humane and scientific methods rather than culling, he said.
Read more: Number of dog bites rises as Sindh government campaign winds down
Saeed added that the policy emphasized vaccination and sterilization to humanely reduce rabies and dog bites, noting that Islam forbids killing animals without cause.
He said the petitioners had earlier secured justice as both CDA and IMC admitted the allegations in an earlier hearing.
Despite clear directives, Saeed claimed, the CDA and IMC continue to capture and shoot stray dogs, in violation of both the policy and court orders.
The court sought written responses from both the local bodies on the October 9 incident and adjourned the hearing.
