In a significant development in the case of culling and culling of stray dogs in Islamabad, the Islamabad High Court has directed the Capital Development Authority to vaccinate and care for the animals instead of killing them.
Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the city’s municipal corporation after an eyewitness informed the court that on October 9, she had seen a vehicle containing around 200 dead dogs near the CDA office.
The court had earlier warned officials that a First Information Report (FIR) would be filed against them if they were found involved in such practices.
In its written order, the IHC stated, “The CDA is further directed that the stray dogs should be vaccinated and taken care of as per policy. If any evidence of killing of dogs is found, an FIR should be registered against them”.
The director of municipal administration at CDA, Dr. Anam Fatima, has been summoned to appear in court to explain the alleged killings.
Read: IHC puts CDA, Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation under dog cull notice
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro has issued the written directive directing the CDA to implement the Stray Dog Management Policy 2020 which promotes humane and scientific methods to control the stray dog ​​population instead of culling.
An eyewitness, Dr. Ghani Ikram, appeared before the court and stated that he had personally observed several dead dogs lying in a truck driven by a CDA employee. He added that the driver fled the scene when contacted.
The petitioners’ counsel, Advocate Altamash Saeed, informed the court that the respondents had claimed that they spent Rs.19,000. per dog on the TNVR process (trap, neuter, vaccinate and release). However, he said photographic evidence indicated that the animals were killed and their bodies transported in a CDA-owned truck.
The case has been adjourned until 27 October.
