Islamabad: Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik Wednesday directed authorities to conduct a nationwide baseline survey on animal welfare ahead of the next meeting of the Committee on Cruelty to Animals, signalling a shift toward data-driven policymaking.
Chairing the committee’s first meeting here, the minister said the survey should cover all provinces to assess the scale of cruelty against animals, existing facilities and the financial requirements for neutering and vaccination programmes.
He also called for concrete recommendations to expand such initiatives across the country. The committee, constituted on the prime minister’s directions, aims to develop a comprehensive framework to strengthen animal welfare, review laws and improve enforcement mechanisms.
It is also tasked with addressing illegal wildlife trade, promoting humane management of stray animals and reforming care facilities. Its maiden meeting was attended by officials from the climate change and interior ministries, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad and National Commission on the Status of Women as well as representatives of civil society and animal welfare groups.
They highlighted a range of systemic challenges, including weak coordination among institutions, overlapping mandates, inadequate veterinary infrastructure, weak penalties and poor enforcement of laws. The absence of a centralised monitoring system, along with limited financial and human resources and low public awareness, were also flagged as key gaps.
