THE mystery of over 20,000 reportedly diseased sheep from Australia continues to deepen. There are claims and counter-claims from various parties regarding the health of the animals, which were imported by a Karachi-based firm. Citing government veterinarians, media reports say that some of the sheep from the suspected flock may be infected with anthrax. Around 7,000 of the sheep had been culled by Thursday after alarm was raised about their health status a few days ago. The importer has demanded a stay order against the culling till the findings of a veterinary board constituted by the Sindh High Court are in. The Australian firm which exported the animals — and which insists the sheep are healthy — also wants a halt to the culling. What adds to the murkiness surrounding the matter is that Oman and Qatar had accepted sheep from the same consignment, while Bahrain did not import the animals. Also, after their arrival in Pakistan tests from two labs in Sindh found the sheep to be sick, while results from an Islamabad lab showed otherwise.

Considering the prevailing confusion, there is a need for all stakeholders to handle the issue dispassionately. Firstly, if there is so much controversy and if the veterinary board’s findings are still not in, perhaps there should not be such a rush to cull the animals. At this point, the best possible course of action may be to keep the sheep in quarantine, away from healthy animals, till investigations conducted by a recognised institution — acceptable to all — are completed. In the long run, the incident should prompt a thorough review of the official process through which livestock is imported and exported. To prevent future mishaps, local authorities need to ensure animals are free from disease before they are allowed into the country and released into the market.