Animal Cruelty In Pakistan

       While there is a lack of rights in Pakistan for most things in general, the lack of animal rights is basically non-existent in Pakistan. Although there is legislation for the prevention of cruelty to animals in Pakistan but those are never really followed. There are no criminal offence charges against a person who abused an animal. In fact the government encourages the policy of killing stray dogs year on year instead of setting up shelters for them. An estimated figure of stray dogs killed each year in Pakistan is 50,000. Let that sink in.

       In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as the name suggests, Islam is the major religion, yet still there is no compassion for animals in the hearts of most people. Animal abuse can be seen on streets very easily. Donkeys and stray dogs are the top most targets. It is not a rare sight to see a dead donkey or a dead dog on some end of a street in Karachi. People have become accustomed to the abuse they inflict on these animals that it no longer bothers them. Recently, a video went viral on social media that of a stray dog shot by a security van for absolutely no reason. The dog bled to death and nobody said a word against the barbarity of that act, instead they recorded it.  According to Islam, even when you slaughter an animal in the name of Allah, you are supposed to use the sharpest of knives so that you cut through their veins so fast that they don’t feel an ounce of pain. But those people watch the dog suffer before it took its last breath.

       It’s clear that animals can’t speak but if you’ve had pet you’d know that they pretty much can feel almost every emotion. They feel the pain, the joy, the happiness, the sadness and even the anger. If you love them, they love you back. How heartless do you have to be to harm a living thing? Intentionally hurting or injuring an animal indicates serious psychological problems. How is it that it is so commonly happening in our country? It is necessary for our government to spread awareness and organizations for the protection of animal rights and punish the ones that don’t abide by it.