ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the chairperson ofIslamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) to justify why it failed to come up with a policy to protect stray dogs from being subjected to unnecessary pain and suffering.

A judgment authored by Chief Justice Athar Minallah also ordered the court office to issue notices to the chairpersons of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the IWMB and the mayor, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) to nominate their respective officials to explain why the judgment of the court had been violated.

“The officials are also required to satisfy why proceedings may not be initiated against those officials responsible for violating this court’s directions.”

The chief justice issued the directions while hearing a petition of Advocate Saira Mehreen Abbas. The petitioner pleaded that stray dogs were being killed in violation of an earlier direction given by the high court in a case reported as the IWMB versus MCI.

The petitioner also referred to the directions of the IHC in that case in which it was ruled that the IWMB would ensure and take appropriate measures to enforce the provisions of the Wildlife Ordinance 1979 so that no animal was treated in a manner that subjected it to unnecessary pain and suffering.

The order had also stated that the board was the competent authority to prescribe a policy and mechanism regarding stray dogs. It was expected that the board while formulating the policy would have regard to best practices observed internationally and the injunctions of Islam which teach treating animals in humane manner.

The case will again be taken up on Nov 16.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2021