Secretary of Livestock Kazim Jatoi visited the Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) animal shelter in Karachi on Monday following the instructions of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

This visit came a day after a magistrate in Shahdadpur remanded six suspects into police custody in connection with the recent mutilation of a camel, which had its right leg chopped off in Mund Jamrao village in Sanghar district.

Following the chief minister’s orders, Secretary Jatoi also arranged for an injured donkey to be transported to Karachi. Both wounded animals are currently receiving treatment at the CDRS.

The Sindh government has committed to covering the cost of treatment for both animals and the CM stated that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is arranging a prosthetic leg for the camel from Dubai.

Secretary Jatoi added that the camel’s leg is healing. He also mentioned that the injured donkey’s leg will be x-rayed tomorrow to determine the next steps in its treatment.

‘Punishment’

The camel was wounded on Friday when a landlord allegedly chopped off its leg as punishment for foraging into his field for fodder.

Sanghar police took notice of the incident, news of which was widely circulated on social media, and contacted the owner of the brutalised camel, Soomar Behan, who was a poor peasant.

Police officials said the peasant had refused to identify the culprit and press charges against him, hence police lodged an FIR on behalf of the state against six unknown persons under sections 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

When police tried to arrest the six suspects on Saturday, they allegedly resisted and attacked them, according to another FIR filed by police. The six suspects were identified as Rustam Shar, Abid Shar, Jaffar Jatt, Abdul Shakoor Shar, Gul Baig Lashari and Darya Khan Shar, and were arrested near Sanghar.

According to Sub-Inspector Atta Hussain Jutt, the suspects were presented before duty magistrate Asif Sial on Sunday, where police requested the suspects be remanded for 14 days for further investigation, positing that they needed to find the weapon used in the incident.

The magistrate, however, remanded the suspects to police custody for only four days.

Notice and treatment

PPP minister Shazia Marri and former PPP senator Quratulain Marri took stern notice of the camel mutilation incident. In a joint statement, they said that veterinary doctors referred them to CDRS, and rescuing the camel was a “joint effort.”

CDRS Benji Director Sarah Jahangir told Dawn.com previously that the camel, affectionately named Cammie by shelter staff, is stable but infection is a constant threat. “She’s stable but her leg is infected,” she said.

“Treatment involves applying fresh dressings, antibiotics and IV fluids […] we’re trying to keep infection at bay.”

Sarah confirmed that the PPP senior members arranged the wounded animal’s transport to the shelter. “Shazia and Anny (Quratulain) Marri had the camel loaded into a truck and brought to Karachi with a police protocol,” she said, adding that the animal arrived at 2:00am in excruciating agony.

She added that CDRS has been exploring options for prosthetic legs for the camel and is due to meet experts from both Karachi and Dubai.