Zubair Qureshi
Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah has hinted at initiating Contempt of Court proceedings against the Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul and Adviser Amin Aslam Awan and other senior officials of the ministry over death of two lions last week when they were being transferred from Margazar Zoo to a wild animals sanctuary in Lahore.
While summoning the Federal Secretary, Ministry of the Climate Change and the Chairman of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in person on Tuesday, the chief justice gave remarks that the court in its May 21 judgment had made it clear in case something happened to the animals, IWMB would be held responsible.
Unfortunately, IWMB, Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI), Capital Development Authority (CDA)and Ministry of Climate Change all are doing politics on this matter, the chief justice remarked.
Meanwhile, according to a post-mortem report, suffocation, starvation and dehydration were among the main causes of the two lions’ death.
The poorly-trained staff clearly violated the protocol and procedure accepted worldwide for transfer of wild animals and instead resorted to intimidate them by lighting fire in their enclosures that led to the poor animals’ death.
The report further says the lungs and stomachs of both the big cats had swollen and they could not survive the torturing methods used by the staff of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and the Margazar Zoo.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered on the complaint of a journalist against three persons for allegedly torturing the lions. The case was registered at a local police Station under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Animal Act 1990.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), a video shows three persons lighting fires in the animals’ enclosure. They also poked the lion with sticks to force it out.
The law punishes people for killing animals in an unnecessarily cruel manner. Those convicted under the law must pay a fine of Rs200 and can be imprisoned for up to six months.
Fire and smoke were used excessively to force the lions out of the cage resulting in severe injuries, suffocation and eventually death.
The report also claimed that the lion was beaten with sticks during the transfer. Kohsar Police of Islamabad have asked for video footage of the incident from the complainant, to identify the accused for further legal action.
After the incident, the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature decided to cut ties with the Islamabad wildlife board for the time being.
“The WWF-Pakistan condemns the ill-treatment of the lion kept at Islamabad Zoo and has expressed its disappointment to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board and hopes that those who are responsible will be brought to justice for this repulsive act,” it said in a statement after the video showing beating of lions and setting their cage on fire went viral on social media.
