The government has formed a committee for the prevention of cruelty to animals, to review incidents of brutality and to propose measures to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for their protection and rehabilitation. While the government’s latest decision is a step in the right direction, most people will remain wary of its effectiveness. This is so because Pakistan’s record on animal welfare has often been characterised by weak enforcement. From zoos to forests, animals here have rarely found any respite. There are laws against keeping wild animals as pets, but we have seen far too often how influential people have flouted these laws. Similarly, for too long, responses to stray dog and cat populations across the country have swung between neglect and harsh culling campaigns that generate public outrage while failing to provide sustainable solutions. Evidence from around the world demonstrates that humane population control, combined with vaccination and public awareness, is both more effective and more ethically defensible than indiscriminate killing.
According to news reports, the committee’s broad mandate is to focus on illegal wildlife trade, poaching and smuggling. Besides a serious threat to biodiversity, wildlife trafficking is frequently linked to organised criminal networks and undermines Pakistan’s commitments under global environmental agreements. Incidents of abuse against domestic animals, poor treatment of working animals, illegal wildlife trafficking and the often-controversial handling of stray animal populations have repeatedly highlighted the absence of a coherent national framework. Mapping trafficking routes and strengthening monitoring systems could help close some of the gaps that have enabled these activities to persist. The committee will also finalise recommendations to launch national awareness campaigns on animal welfare and responsible ownership, promote coordination among government agencies, NGOs and international partners and integrate animal welfare into education, health and urban planning policies. This reflects a more sophisticated understanding of the issue. Cities designed without consideration for animal populations often face public health concerns, human-animal conflicts, and environmental degradation.
Teaching people to be empathetic towards animals through education can contribute to broader social values of compassion and responsibility. All this sounds great, but we also have to be mindful that Pakistan has seen many well-intentioned committees produce reports that rarely translate into measurable improvements on the ground. Without clear timelines, dedicated resources and mechanisms for accountability, such committees unfortunately risk becoming ineffective. The challenge ahead is to ensure that concern is translated into action and that animal welfare becomes a permanent policy priority. And as officers work behind the scenes, the government, with the help of the media, must launch awareness campaigns to educate people about the importance of co-existence between humans and animals.
