BOTH man and beast have it quite rough in this country, though for the latter things are much grimmer, mainly due to the excesses of the former. It is not uncommon to see animals such as dogs and cats being treated cruelly in streets and alleyways, while beasts of burden are often loaded with much more than they should be carrying. Then there are cruel ‘customs’ and ‘traditions’ such as fights between animals including roosters, dogs etc. However, two recent developments in the legal arena have given some hope to those who wish for Pakistan to be a more humane place for animals. The Senate Standing Committee on Interior recently passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2018; the bill updates the 1890 colonial-era law by increasing fines for cruelty to animals, which up till the recent amendments were still being levied as per 19th-century standards. For example, the fine for killing an animal “with unnecessary cruelty” has been raised from Rs200 to Rs300,000. The second development came in the shape of a Sindh High Court order banning all ‘games’ and races that cause animals to suffer. These include animal cart races as well as fights between beasts. As the bench observed, “these acts are potentially harmful for our society ... [and] may promote a tendency of violence. ...” The bench observed that adding the fig leaf of ‘custom’ to such brutal practices did not make them legal.

The Senate committee must be lauded for finally updating the law, while the Sindh High Court also deserves appreciation for disallowing in clear terms such cruel abuse of animals. However, the upper house as well as the honourable court’s efforts will go to waste unless these prohibitions are enforced. Also, the state should — with help from NGOs working for animal welfare — organise programmes in public and private schools that can sensitise youngsters about animal rights. General public-awareness campaigns could also be carried out highlighting the need to treat animals with more compassion.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2018