hen the Lahore Development Authority moved in before dawn on November 5, the operation was meant to clear encroachments and reclaim public land. By midday, 149 shops of the Bhati Bird Market, a decades-old cluster facing the shrine of Data Sahib, lay in ruins. But it wasn’t the smashed concrete or twisted metal that captured public attention.

It was the photographs.

As shopkeepers sifted through the debris, images began circulating online: there were overturned cages, feathers matted with dust, birds and small animals lying dead under brick and broken timber. The visuals ignited a storm of anger across social media, raising urgent questions about responsibility, cruelty and the state’s obligation towards voiceless creatures caught in the crossfire of urban regulation.

Within days, complaints following the incident, now widely referred to as the Data Darbar Animal Massacre, reached the Lahore High Court. Justice Shehram Sarwar, hearing the petition, expressed concern over the deaths and directed the Punjab Wildlife Department to investigate the matter and deliver its findings within 30 days. The order has cast a sharper light not only on the events of that morning but also on the wider issues surrounding animal welfare, enforcement practices and the fragile lives of creatures traded in the city’s informal markets.

“I want justice for the dead birds and animals that fell prey to the poor and careless action of the Lahore Development Authority,” says lawyer Altamush Saeed, a prominent environmental and animal rights activist. He is representing Environmental and Animal Rights Consultants Pakistan in the case.

“The public reaction was overwhelming. The officials responsible for this tragedy should face action and a clear future course of action must be framed to avoid such incidents,” he adds.

Among the many voices responding to the demolition is Talha Rajput, a bird fancier and media studies graduate who frequently visited the Bhati Bird Market to buy and sell birds.

“This wasn’t a large market if you compare it to Tolinton. However, its proximity to Data Darbar made it a major attraction for bird trade,” Talha says.

He traces the market’s origins to a ritual economy centred on sadqa birds. “The market started with people selling sparrows and crows for sadqa, which buyers would free as a ritual. Over time, seeing the steady flow of customers, shopkeepers began keeping pigeons, cats, cockerels and sparrows. It became particularly well known for pigeons and sadqa birds.”

As the outrage over the demolition continues, multiple narratives have emerged about what led to the deaths. How animals were treated, and what laws actually protect them, remains at the heart of the debate.

Altamush Saeed maintains that the demolition went ahead while some of the animals were still in the shops. The LDA insists that it removed the animals before the operation.

According to LDA spokesperson Osama Mahmood, the land belongs to the Auqaf Department and is required for the authority’s Sustainable Cities Project. “When the operation took place, representatives of the city district government and the Wildlife Department were present at the scene,” he says.

The deaths exposed a system where no department accepted responsibility and the animals paid the price.

Saeed disputes the LDA’s position. He says that the Wildlife Department had jurisdiction over the market because many of the birds being sold were wild species that required departmental licensing. “They had to supervise the evacuation or removal of the animals,” he says. “The LDA violated the law, first in not informing the Wildlife Department, and second by evacuating the animals themselves.”

The Wildlife Department denies the claim. “We were consulted by neither the LDA nor by the city district government,” says Deputy Director Rasool.

He also clarifies the department’s mandate. “The Wildlife Department’s jurisdiction is restricted to wildlife. Birds sold in city markets, including those in Bhati Market, fall under the Livestock Department. At Bhati Market, only wild pigeons fall under our regulation.”

Attention then shifts to the Livestock Department. Its spokesperson, Dr Samreen Wasiq, says the LDA did not issue any communication to them regarding the evacuation of birds. She notes that cases of mistreatment are generally overseen by the Punjab branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Its focal person, Fawad Badr, also denies receiving any warning from the LDA about the operation.

Despite both departments rejecting any role, the LDA spokesperson maintains that such coordination is often carried out verbally. He adds that several officials from the city district government, Wildlife, Auqaf and other departments were present during the operation, which was supervised by Data Ganj Bakhsh Town Assistant Commissioner Rai Babar.

But the lawyer insists the LDA had no authority to carry out the operation.
“In this case, the Prevention of Cruelty Act was also violated,” he says. “But the punishments are too mild for anyone to take it seriously. The Livestock Department had jurisdiction over the cats, dogs and other domestic animals in the market. They were not consulted either. They should have been given notice to remove them.”

The court has now sought a detailed account of the incident, the causes behind the deaths and a clear plan to prevent similar tragedies. It has also called for criminal action against those responsible, as well as educational and sensitisation modules for government departments to encourage empathy and responsibility towards animals and the environment.

In addition, the court has directed that if the department fails to comply, the matter may be brought back under contempt proceedings, ensuring that accountability is not optional.

“This direction marks a historic victory for animal rights in Pakistan. For the first time, the Wildlife Department, the competent statutory authority, has been empowered and obligated to investigate, report and act decisively on the issue,” says Altamush Saeed.

He says the official report will reveal the truth behind the incident and that “the truth will set everyone free.”

Talha says the deaths were entirely preventable.

The writer is the editor of Minute Mirror. He may be reached at [email protected]