A number of animal rights activists dubbed as ‘suspects’ and ‘trespassers’ are facing the wrath of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) after they visited the CDA Shelter for Stray Dogs in Tarlai, Shehzad Town and highlighted the poor state of the animals there. The animals are acutely mal-nourished, unhealthy, sick and left to die and the staff entrusted with their wellbeing is least interested and little aware these animals are at the verge of starving to death.
According to details, on December 21, Parishay Khan a TV host and animal rights activist along with her team visited the CDA dog center to retrieve sick and malnourished dogs for urgent veterinary care.
Instead of facilitating them, the CDA management called in the police, leading to their temporary arrest. The CDA subsequently complained to the police case, claiming that “unknown suspects” had broken into the facility, damaged property, and “stolen” approximately 50 to 60 dogs.
This confrontation is the latest in a series of legal and public battles over the CDA’s treatment of stray animals in 2025:
The state of the malnourished, poorly-kept dogs in the CDA’s shelter speaks volumes about neglect and indifference of the authority’s staff towards the poor creatures. The authority instead of facilitating the visitors with proper guidance called in police to remove them from the site as they were trying to ‘break into’ the facility.
In the past, the animal rights activists Parishay Khan, Mishi Khan, Sana Roger and lawyer AltamushSaeed have been vocal in demanding transparency and an independent committee of civil society members to monitor these centers. They highlighted that despite a 2020 landmark judgment recognizing animal rights in Pakistan, the CDA continues to face allegations of bypassing humane laws in favor of brutal population control. Meanwhile the civil society has condemned targeting of Parishay Khan and the fellow activists and called for an investigation into the episode and immediate implementation of science-based animal welfare standards in the capital.
