Secretary Climate Change Ministry to head body
responsible for animals’ wellbeing
Zubair Qureshi
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday constituted a three-member commission to run day-to-day administrative and financial affairs of the Margazar Zoo particularly to ensure animals and birds are in good health and are fed properly.
Chief Justice of the IHC Justice Athar Minallah while hearing the petition over lack of facilities in the zoo by the authorities observed it would be the joint responsibility of the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) and the Capital Development Authority whose chiefs would be members of the commission while Secretary Ministry of Climate Change will head the body.
The commission will enjoy all powers and would be empowered to take steps aimed at safety and upkeep of the animals, the court observed.
The court directed the commission to submit its report by April 10 and the court would take further decision in light of the recommendations by the commission.
Earlier, while hearing the case Justice Athar Minallah observed that all zoos should be closed if the government couldn’t take care of the animals, remarked the Islamabad High Court chief justice while hearing a case on Saturday.
The secretary of climate change and Islamabad mayor appeared in the court.
The climate change ministry was given the task of taking care of the animals, remarked Justice Minallah, asking “What did you manage to do?”
The secretary said that whenever anyone from the ministry went to the zoo, the authorities would lock it. “Why is everyone so interested in this zoo?” the judge asked. The animals are not being provided the treatment they should be, even the previous government did nothing about it, he said, adding that control of the zoo was given to the MCI, which had no legal claim over it. “You are violating Islamic teachings but not treating animals the right way,” Justice Minallah added.
The government, MCI and zoo authorities have proven that they are incapable of taking care of the animals, he remarked. Sheikh Ansar Aziz, Mayor of MCI, on this said the main problem was that the federal government didn’t provide enough funds to the MCI for the zoo.
We have to rely on the funds from CDA to pay for animal’s food, he told the court, he said.
