International Animal Rights Day: Pakistan’s silent animal welfare crisis

By Mushfiq Ahmad

KARACHI, Pakistan (MNTV) — As the world observes the International Day for Animal Rights on December 9, Pakistan faces a sobering reckoning with the conditions in which its animals—whether wild, captive, domestic, livestock, or stray—are forced to live.

Despite a long legal tradition that includes the federal Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and religious teachings that emphasize kindness to all living beings, experts say the country’s treatment of animals remains deeply inadequate.

Interviews with a WWF Pakistan representative, a wildlife conservator, and the co-founder of Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) reveal a picture of systemic neglect, outdated practices, and governance failures—but also a growing public awareness and a roadmap for reform.

Barren enclosures and psychological torture

Among the most troubling concerns are the state of government-run zoos in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh. Karachi Zoo and others have repeatedly come under fire for keeping animals in barren, cramped enclosures that offer nothing close to their natural habitat.

Dr. Uzma Khan, a senior official from WWF Pakistan, describes the situation: “Our zoos are not designed around the needs of animals. They are designed around the needs of administration. Space allocation, enclosure design, social grouping—none of it follows scientific or ethical standards.”

Animals that are highly social in the wild are often housed alone. In Karachi, elephants have lived in solitary conditions for years, a violation of internationally recognized welfare standards.

“When social animals live alone for years, it is psychological torture,” Khan said.

“These animals require complex social structures. When you break that structure, you break the animal.”

Veterinary crisis

Pakistan’s zoos also suffer from a chronic shortage of qualified wildlife veterinarians.

According to wildlife conservator Mahar, “The number of doctors required to treat wild species is simply not available. You may have general veterinarians, but a wild feline, a primate, or an elephant requires a specialist. We have very few.”

The issue is compounded by financial bureaucracy.

Unlike modern zoos abroad, which maintain independent accounts for emergency medical care, Karachi Zoo’s earnings flow directly to the provincial government.

“If an animal needs urgent medication or surgery, the zoo cannot spend its own revenue,” Khan explained.

“Files go to the government. Approvals take time. Animals cannot wait for paperwork.”

She emphasizes the need for financial autonomy, allowing zoos to spend their own income on emergencies, food, enrichment, and medical care.

Some animals are simply unsuitable for captivity because they have very complex social requirements such as elephants, said Khan.

Missing ‘Collection Plan’—and missing accountability

Internationally accredited zoos maintain strict “collection plans”—guidelines for which species they keep, why they keep them, and how to ensure proper care, breeding management, and retirement.

“A zoo should never be a random assortment of animals,” the WWF official noted.

“It should be a conservation tool. But here, there is no long-term planning. Animals are acquired without scientific justification or proper facilities.”

In Punjab, a few animal welfare societies exist and attempt to fill the gaps.

But in Sindh, even these support systems are largely absent or ineffective.

Pakistan’s animal protection law, first enacted in the colonial era, remains one of the oldest in the region. But implementation is where the collapse occurs.

“People say old laws are useless,” said Mahar. “This is incorrect. Old laws are refined and time-tested. What they need is updating—and enforcement. The engine exists, but no one is driving the vehicle.”

He sees the problem as a mixture of poor education, limited government investment, and societal indifference.

A culture of overworking—but not always of cruelty

Mahar distinguishes between deliberate cruelty and economic compulsion. “Working animals—donkeys, horses, camels—are often overworked because their owners are poor,” he said. “Most do feed their animals because their income depends on it. But beating, neglect, and abandonment still happen.”

He believes the real victims are street dogs and cats, which have no owners and no protection.

“Horses, buffaloes—they have economic value. Street animals suffer the most.”

Another area of concern is the bird markets found in major cities. Birds—parrots, mynahs, finches, owls—are kept in cramped cages, often stacked in narrow alleys with poor ventilation.

“This is a decades-old industry and a cultural issue,” Mahar said. “But it continues because enforcement is weak and public awareness is low.”

Jackals, reptiles, porcupines, and other wild species are frequently poached from national parks and displayed in zoos or sold illegally.

Renowned animal rights activist Mahera Omar, co-founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), argues that the entire concept of zoos needs rethinking.

Zoos take animals out of natural ecosystems where they can live full, free lives, she said. No zoo in Pakistan can meet the needs of wild animals.

She describes seeing porcupines kept in cement cages, jackals in concrete pits, and big cats pacing endlessly—classic signs of stress and psychological trauma.

A roadmap for reform

The experts outlined several urgent priorities for Pakistan:

Reform and enforce animal welfare laws: Strengthen the Cruelty to Animals Act, include modern welfare standards, and empower enforcement agencies.

Grant financial autonomy to zoos: Allow institutions to use their own revenue for emergency care and daily operations.

Hire and train wildlife veterinarians: Build specialized capacity to care for wild species.

Abolish outdated zoo models: Transition toward sanctuaries, conservation centers, and habitat protection rather than traditional captive display facilities.

As Pakistan marks International Animal Rights Day, the message from advocates is clear: the country has both the legal foundation and the moral imperative to do better.

What remains is the political will to act.