KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Friday directed the federal and provincial authorities concerned to ensure all laws relating to the import, breeding, sale and purchase of lions (big cats), including Panthera Leo, were complied with.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, further directed that no permit/licence for import of big cats be issued without fulfiling all the requirements as detailed in the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Act, 2012 and Import Policy Order, 2016.

These directives came on a petition jointly filed by three citizens, who pleaded the court to declare the import of the wild animals in the country as a violation of the Import Policy Order, 2016 and Act of 2012.

They also urged to declare the captivity, breeding and sale of the Panthera Leo and all other big cats in Pakistan illegal, unlawful and without authority.

The petitioners, including Advocate Umer Lakhani, Advocate Summaiya Zaidi and Natasha Ali Lakhani, impleaded the secretary of the ministry of climate change, the federal board of revenue, the Customs department, the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority, the Sindh conservator of wildlife and the World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan through its president, as respondents.

Their counsel M. Ali Lakhani argued that the wild animals were being imported mostly from the South Africa in violation of the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Act, 2012 as well as the Part-I of Appendix B of the Import Policy Order, 2016.

He further submitted that the official respondents had failed to perform their duties to ensure the compliance of the provisions of the aforesaid laws/rules relating to import of the animals, particularly the lions and had not taken any action against their illegal captivity, breeding and sale of Panthera Leo and other big cats in Pakistan, which was not permissible under the aforesaid laws.

Mr Lakhani argued that that most of the licences for the import of the lions had been issued without compliance of the aforesaid laws/rules.

“Whereas, the permits have been issued to the private individuals, who indulged in commercial activities of breeding and selling of the big cats and also freely carry and display such animals in the public in violation of the law,” he added.

The counsel also requested the court to direct the official respondents to submit the details of the permits and licences issued to various importers so that the court may examine as to whether or not the compliance of the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora Act, 2012 and Import Policy Order, 2016 had been made while issuing such permits/licences.

The judges observed that through the petition the petitioners had approached the court as whistle-blowers by drawing attention of the court to violation and misuse of certain laws relating to import of wild animals, primarily the lions.

After preliminary hearing, the bench issued pre-admission notices to the respondents as well as the deputy attorney general and the advocate general Sindh for Aug 27, when they were directed to file their comments with an advance copy to the counsel for the petitioner.

Meanwhile, it ordered that the officials respondents are directed to ensure that all laws relating to the import, breeding, sale and purchase of lions (big cats), including Panthera Leo, are complied with, whereas no permit/licence to import big cats shall be issued without fulfilling all the requirements as detailed in the aforesaid laws.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2018