KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed a senior officer of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to come up with a report about the current health condition of animals and status of their cages at the Karachi Zoological Gardens.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar also directed the chief conservator wildlife to be in attendance on May 26.

While hearing a petition filed against functioning of Karachi Zoo, the bench observed that despite the directions issued earlier, the authorities concerned had not placed on record the present condition of the animals being kept at the zoo as well as status of their cages and health.

Karachi Zoo’s senior director Mohammad Mansoor verbally submitted that they started the revamping of the zoo, to which the bench said that he did not place anything on record.

The court directed him to submit a report along with coloured pictures of all cages and animals on the next date of hearing.

The bench ordered that the official must mention in the report whether proper food was being given to all animals kept at the facility or not.

SHC issues notices to DIG-traffic, others on plea against closure of roads

It also directed the chief conservator to appear in court on the next hearing.

The petitioners moved the SHC stating that the condition of animals being kept at the zoo was alarming and the lives of the creatures were at risk.

They argued that animals’ hygiene, food requirements and health conditions were severely neglected and they were being kept in very small cages and the condition of captivity at the zoo amounted to a criminal treatment of living beings.

They sought directions for the respondents to provide a list of all existing animals as well as those that died over the last decade, medical record of animals and details of all wholesale dealers providing food and medicinal supplies to the zoo.

They also requested for health assessment of all the animals.

Notices issued on plea against closure of roads

Another division bench of SHC has issued notices on a petition filed against the closure of roads in the provincial metropolis.

The Pasban Democratic Party petitioned the SHC against closure of different roads in district South.

The petitioner submitted that due to the failure of the respondents and illegal encroachments on the roads, the available thoroughfares of the city were affected and the flow of traffic was badly disturbed and despite that they were continuously bent upon closing the available roads day by day.

They argued that Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road opposite Empress Market in Saddar, a portion of Fatima Jinnah Road, Kamal Ataturk Road near S.M. Law College and the Sindh Assembly road had been closed for vehicular traffic.

While citing the chief secretary, home secretary, deputy inspector general-traffic and deputy commissioner-South as respondents, the petitioner sought directions for immediate and complete restoration of these roads.

After a preliminary hearing, the two-judge bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi issued notices to the respondents with a direction to file their comments till May 25.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2021