After the tragic death of Karachi Zoo’s ailing elephant Noor Jehan after years of neglect and abuse, Sri Lankan authorities announced that they were donating two elephants to Pakistan. According to Geo News, Sri Lankan Honorary Counsel Yasin Joya announced that one will be given to Karachi Zoo and the other one to Lahore Zoo.
Sri Lanka’s Honorary Consul Yasin Joya has expressed grief over the death of Noor Jahan, who was orphaned at the Karachi Zoo. In an exclusive conversation with Geo News in Lahore, Yasin Joya said that Sri Lanka will donate two elephants to Pakistan…https://t.co/FSwrAIdAf6pic.twitter.com/LMPNldhMQy
— City’s for Elephants & Rhinos (@CitysFElephants) April 23, 2023
Celebrities like veteran actress Nadia Jamil spoke out against this decision, slamming the Pakistani government for providing poor facilities for the animals that had led to Noor Jehan’s death.
“I beg Sri Lanka, DO NOT GIVE PAKISTAN ANY ELEPHANTS. NOT until Pakistan develops a policy to protect animals in its zoos and learns to take care of animals as they should be taken care of. Please. No more tragic deaths. Please spare more animals from suffering like Noorjehan.”
I beg Sri Lanka, DO NOT GIVE PAKISTAN ANY ELEPHANTS. NOT until Pakistan develops a policy to protect animals in its zoos and learns to take care of animals as they should be taken care of. Please. No more tragic deaths. Please spare more animals from suffering like Noorjehan https://t.co/cQmczn5DxB
Other celebrities like Anushay Ashraf and Ahmed Ali Butt mourned the loss of Noor Jehan, and slammed the Karachi authorities for their limited resources which had led to the neglected conditions of animals at Karachi Zoo. In a now-expired post on her Instagram stories, Ashraf pointed out how zoos are not safe places for animals, and should not be entertainment facilities for humans:
“Another reminder for the govt that zoos are a place where animals are kept in captivity for our entertainment. This narrative cannot work in 2023. Am sure they tried their best with Nuri, but the concept is faulty to begin with. No one trusts the animals are getting the best possible care anyway. And chargingn money to see animals behind cages is a narrative the world has grown out of.”
Singer and actor Ahmed Ali Butt slammed the decision to import elephants from Sri Lanka, because as he wrote:
“We don’t deserve a zoo, just like everything else in this country, animals and their care is the least of our worries. This is just a feather in our incompetetnt cap.”
Actor Hamza Ali Abbas has joined the chorus of voices calling for zoos across Pakistan to be shut down. As the country watches veterinarians try to save the life of one of Karachi Zoo’s elephants, Noor Jehan, celebrities have lent support to the demand that the animals be shifted to sanctuaries.
Taking to Instagram, the ‘Maula Jatt’ actor shared a clip of a post by Express Tribune, slamming authorities for not caring about the welfare of the animals:
“We can’t take care of animals in zoo’s- it is better than to receive curses from animals that we should ban zoos and send the animals to a safer place.”
Abbasi’s criticism comes after countless celebrities, including Grammy award winner Arooj Aftab, raised their voices to support animals and shut down zoos. Aftab re-shared a clip from her interview with The Current where she had talked about the abysmal conditions of animals in Lahore’s zoo, calling for better facilities to be set up for animals.
Just as Noor Jehan improved, she fell into a concrete pond built inside her shelter, leading to worsening of her condition. Authorities had remained in contact with the animal welfare organization Four Paws to coordinate for her treatment.
Yesterday, The Nation reported that Minister of Climate Change and member of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sherry Rehman, had advised Sindh government to shut down Karachi Zoo, and for the animals to be moved to enclosures where they are provided with proper facilities.
Karachi Zoo’s ailing elephant Noor Jehan suffered another setback on Thursday after she fell into a concrete pond inside her pen. According to Karachi Times, the elephant had to be pulled out with the help of cranes and was not moving much after that.
Speaking to Geo News, Safari Park Director Kanwar Ayub said that the unfortunate accident happened on Thursday night, leading to worsening of Noor Jehan’s pain. He further added that her treatment was still being supervised by foreign doctors.
17 year old elephant #NoorJehan , who recently went through a surgery by foreign doctors , reportedly fell into to a concrete pond which further worsened her condition. #Karachi#TOKAlertpic.twitter.com/jC80Z6V4ZU
Activists and celebrities slammed the Zoo’s management authorities for mishandling animals and the overall poor state of the facility.
Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari shared a video of Noor Jehan in distress on Twitter, demanding that the zoo should be shut down because of it’s inability to provide proper facilities to animals.
“#KarachiZoo should be shut down because it is clearly beyond the capacity of KMC.”
Actress Ayesha Omar too posted a video clip of Noor Jehan on her Instagram page, asking her followers about how could they help in ensuring the elephant receives proper treatment.
Actor Yashma Gill shared a video clip on her Instagram stories of Noor Jehan, and wrote that for the sake of Ramzan, the zoo needs to shut down.
“Please for the sake of this holy month join hands in this cause and help in BOYCOTTING this zoo culture!”
Nadia Jamil prayed that the elephant’s critical condition is ressolved as she shared a clip of Noor Jehan after her surgery
Veteran actress Simi Rahael shared a tweet that slammed Karachi Zoo’s administration for the poor condition of Noor Jehan, and in the caption she shared the hashtag #banzoo and #stopanimalcruelty
International animal relief organization Four Paws also posted updates from their Twitter account, stating that they had coordinated all night with the local team to try and save the elephant’s life.
The FOUR PAWS team worked until late at night together with the local team via video calls to find possible solutions to save her. And today our efforts continue, we won’t give up on her!
Earlier, Four Paws had flown its veterinarians to Karachi to operate on Noor Jehan after her condition had gotten worse. In a press release, they had written that in 2021, the organisation had strongly recommended that both elephants should be shifted from Karachi Zoo as the facilities there do not comply with international standards. However, no such measures were taken by the authorities.
On April 5, Dr Amir Khalil, the head of Four Paws, revealed that the surgery on Noor Jehan had been successful, hoping that authorities would comply with the organization by relocating both elephants, Noor Jehan and Madhubala, to a proper facility equipped to handle the animals.
On April 7, Times of Karachi announced that the Director of Karachi Zoo, Khalid Hashmi, had been suspended due to negligence and mismanagement which had led to Noor Jehan’s illness.
Director #KarachiZoo Khalid Hashmi has been suspended from Safari Park and recreation posts, over exhibiting negligence in the medical treatment of sick elephant ‘Noor Jehan’. The municipal commission of the KMC handed over the responsibilities of Hashmi to the local got’s… pic.twitter.com/61ay7Fa4Kg
A rare white lion died, reportedly after his lungs stopped working, at the Karachi Zoo on Wednesday. A representative for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) confirmed the lion’s death, saying it had been sick for the past 13 days with pulmonary tuberculosis.
“He was being treated by veterinarians but could not recover and died due to his illness at 11 am on Wednesday,” the spokesperson said. However, as per social media reports the lion has allegedly been starved to death.
Earlier Journalist Quatrina Hosain posted a video in which the lion was in very poor condition. She also tagged the City Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab in her post, asking him to take the action against those responsible.
Actor Ayesha Omar took to her Twitter handle to speak up against the lack of funds for animal welfare at Karachi Zoo.
Mortified to find out how animals are being kept in the #KarachiZoo, apparently because of lack of funds. And this African lion died today. They say it’s tuberculosis. He was being kept in the same enclosure as the Lioness with such a contagious disease. pic.twitter.com/GSwthV8Zly
Actor and writer Yasir Hussain shared the news on his Instagram account while tagging Maryam Nawaz and wrote, “Sher tha aap hi bacha lete.”
Activist Shaniera Akram also took to her twitter to express her and disappointment.
B#%S! He died because we couldn’t look after him! Zoos should be a place where animals go for protection, hospitalisation,rehabilitation, recreation & breeding! At the very least, people can then go to observe them. Anything less than that,Are NOT Zoos they are animal prisons! https://t.co/uHMmagL3rF
Earlier, other celebrities including Ahsan Khan, Areeba Habib, Ahmed Ali Butt and Anoushey Ashraf also up against the trivialising treatment of animals in Karachi Zoo.
Police has released former bureaucrat, Abdul Qayyum, who was arrested after a dead cat was found hanging in his house located in Bahira Town, Dawn News has reported.
A police officer while talking to Dawn said that “during preliminary investigation, the man denied this allegation and told police that two cats were fighting inside his house and there was a loop of rope around the neck of one animal”.
“During the fight, the cat with the rope around its neck fell from the stairs, which led to it dying by hanging as the rope got stuck in a pipe,” added the accused.
However, the police suspects that the statement given by the accused is false, adding: “Cats are not usually found with ropes around their neck.”
A case was registered against the man under section 429 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The complaint was lodged by Anila Umair, who is an animal welfare activist.
As per details, the prime suspect has also been allegedly involved in domestic abuse.
A suspect has been booked by Baghdadi police for allegedly beating a stray dog to death with stones and sticks, Samaa has reported. The case has been registered under Sections 34 and 429 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
As per details, the incident took place on August 10 at 6pm at Madina Masjid Road in Lyari, Karachi.
The locals of the area said that that the dog attacked a two-year-old Bilal, adding that they contacted welfare organisations many times but they did not get any response.
A video went viral on social media yesterday, in which, a man can be seen beating a tied up dog with a stick in front of a mob. However, the details of the incident were unclear.
Animal abuse and zoos in Pakistan have long drawn international condemnation for their mistreatment of animals. Last year, on December 16, Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo was shut down after the Islamabad High Court ordered for Kaavan the elephant and two brown bears Babloo and Suzie to be relocated to sanctuaries abroad.
A video was posted by Project Save Animals in which a lion was being used as a prop at a birthday party.
“Lions were shackled left and right and paraded as if they were a new decoration piece, which they’re not, obviously,” the caption of the post read.
“Why do we tend to forget that these are living, breathing beings that have the capacity to feel just like you?”
The post further added, “How would you feel if someone sedated you, tied you up and thrust you in an environment with loud music and screaming people? It’s ironic how humans are the first ones to forget their humanity,” adding, “Animals are NOT decor that you can use to show your wealth and status at your events.”
“You DO NOT get to violate another being at the expense of your leisure, I have had enough of this and I refuse to be quiet about this.”
“These influencers have big audiences that follow them and that leaves them with a bigger responsibility to make the right choices because it’s not just ONE birthday party. It’s the message that you are portraying and the precedent that you are setting.”
“With countless cubs and lions being mistreated in Pakistan, we cannot afford to showcase behaviour that seeks to normalize this atrocity. I deal with so many people who have alot of complains when it comes to adopting strays but we don’t bat an eye at this monstrosity?”
“This needs to stop and it won’t until we stand up against this highly problematic behaviour and call those out who are responsible for it.:
Earlier this year, a video of TikToker Kashif Zameer beating his pet lion surfaced on social media. JFK Animal Rescue and Shelter shared the video of Zameer beating his pet lion as two women stood on the side and watched him. Zameer scammed Ertuğrul star Engin Altan Düzyatan.
A man has been caught beating a lion cub on camera. In a video that is being widely circulated on social media, the man named Saad can be seen beating the young cub while dragging him with a chain. The cub’s heartwrenching cries can also be heard in the video.
The video sparked outrage on social media with several prominent personalities including Fatima Bhutto demanding the cub be rescued by authorities. Lahore-based JFK Animal Rescue And Shelter has also urged the government to stop licensing wild animals to individuals privately, saying that every third person in Pakistan now owns a lion as a pet.
The animal rescue service also initiated an online petition for this purpose and urged people to raise their voices for these animals. According to JFK, by owning a licence in Pakistan you can buy, sell or import lions and tigers and do whatever you want to do to them. In the recent past, multiple cases of animal abuse and violation have been reported.
The animal rights organisation also explained that lion and tiger owners, declaw them, beat them, cage them, take their teeth out and later use them for breeding where they open entire breeding farms and then sell the cubs for money.
“Once anybody gets the license there is no check and balance, and every other person is allowed to do all sorts of evil things to these wild animals behind closed walls. Many also torture them for TikTok and social media videos,” reads the petition.
“Many times lions are used as props and kept as slaves. People deprive them of their natural habitats and give them a miserable life. We have seen multiple cases of this abuse in a single year and now we want to deal with the root cause which is these licences, these licenses should be cancelled and there should be a complete ban on owning wild animals as pets,” it adds.
Fatima Bhutto also requested her followers to sign the petition and urged the government to rescue such wild animals from captivity.
Meanwhile, lawyers Ahmad Pansota and Hassaan Khan Niazi have taken up the case and have promised to file a petition before the court on the matter.
The lion cub abuse case has been taken up by Hassan niazi who will be fighting it and Muhammad Ahmad Pansota who is filing a petition against the license that lets you keep wild animals as pets. Please continue praying and supporting @GFarooqi@GFarooqi@Pansota1@petapic.twitter.com/o8qI6W3ijA
— JFK Animal Rescue And Shelter (@jfkshelter) May 3, 2021
The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has slapped a fine of Rs 500,000 to Express Entertainment’s celebrity talk show Time Out with Ahsan Khan for using animals as props.
Lawyer Faizullah Khan Niazi, who filed a “self-explanatory” complaint before the regulatory body on behalf of Santia Gulzar against the TV channel and show announced PEMRA’s decision on social media and shared a copy of the order.
“PEMRA saw fit to accept my arguments and impose a fine on Express Entertainment for using animals as props for the purposes of entertainment in its show Time Out with Ahsan Khan,” wrote Niazi on Twitter.
“The Council of Complaints (CoC) [in it’s 106th meeting] upheld the rights of animals and stopped unnecessary pain and suffering being caused to them,” added the lawyer.
“The Council after hearing the matter was of the considered view that the treatment towards animals in this specific show caused unnecessary pain and suffering to the animals used as props in the show. Subjugating animals to such uncalled-for treatment is clearly prohibited under Article 4 and Article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan,” read PEMRA’s order.
Abuzar Khan Niazi, who is a Managing Partner at Lahore-based Crown Law Chambers also shared the judgment on social media, saying that the “treatment metted out to rabbits has been declared illegal and unconstitutional”.
We filed complaint against Express Entertainment in PEMRA, Council of Complaints for using rabbits as Props in their show. Today, we have won the case, rs 500,000 fine has been imposed on channel. Treatment metted out to rabbits has been declared to be ilegal and unconstitutional pic.twitter.com/hIyLgstVuU
Chairperson Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab and a Spokesperson of the Punjab Government Sarah Ahmad hailed the decision, calling it a “landmark judgement on animal rights”.
Council of Complaints, Lahore headed by @pansota1 passed a landmark judgment on animal rights which by all means was a case of first impression before any forum. Licensee was fined Rs.500,00/- for subjecting the animals to unnecessary pain and suffering.
Earlier in March, Crown Chambers had filed a complaint before PEMRA against Express Entertainment and the show for using animals as props.
“The captioned TV show has broadcasted insensitive and reckless content committing negligence and cruelty towards animals by subjecting them to unnecessary suffering and thereby, also mentally disturbing the general public at large,” the complaint had read.
For one of its segments, Time Out with Ahsan Khan used rabbits as props. The segment features a series of multiple-choice questions and if the celebrity answers a question incorrectly, a rabbit is placed on their lap. While some may see this as a harmless act, celebrities like Maya Ali were seen screaming out of fear. The complainant felt that this causes distress to the animal and accounts as animal cruelty.
Meanwhile, Ahsan Khan while speaking exclusively to The Current responded to the controversy, saying: “Let me clarify. These rabbits are basically pets and the person who owns them brings them to the set. When they are on set, we make sure that they are well-fed and taken care of and are not facing any issues. They are not uncomfortable at all. The person whose pets they are keeps them indoors and they are very easy to play with.”
“Araam say haathon main aa jaatay hain,” explained Khan.
The actor then said that being a pet lover he is very careful with the animals on set and cares for them.
“I myself am a pet lover,” said Ahsan. “I have dogs at home. I have cats. I also have parrots and hens and they are all like my own children. We try to provide them with comfortable environments. So naturally, we are very careful with the animals – all of us on set.”
He further said that after the show invited backlash for “using animals as props,” he and his producer decided to avoid it.
“My producer and I thought that if this is hurting people and they are not liking it, then we can avoid it. So we have cut out the segment in the last three to four episodes we’ve recorded,” stated Ahsan, clarifying that the ones which included the animals were shot before.
“Although this segment is one of my favourites because this is the only one in which we discuss general knowledge, which not only educates my guests but also those who are watching the show. Whoever gives a wrong answer has to hold the pet in their lap,” he shared. It is pertinent to add here that the male guests usually enjoy petting the animals but the female guests are scared of them and often jump around screaming when asked to hold them.
“We on our end have been very careful with handling them, but if some people don’t like it then we, including my producers and all can apologise to them,” concluded Khan. “It’s a mutual thing. If something is not right, we should look into it.”
