I recently visited the Empress Bird Market in Karachi, and what I witnessed was deeply distressing. Wild animals including jackals, barn owls, kites, monkeys and mongooses were confined behind metal bars. One jackal hissed at passersby and threw itself repeatedly against the cage in fear. Barn owls sat in cramped enclosures swarming with flies over rotting meat.
A terrified monkey was harassed by children striking its cage with sticks. Juvenile puppies, kittens and monkeys, separated from their mothers, were displayed as merchandise. Looking into their frightened eyes, one could hardly sustain eye contact. Migratory birds were confined into cages that barely allowed them space to stand.
This inhumane trade is a stark reminder that laws often exist only on paper. Such activity operates openly, raising serious questions about the authorities. How can protected species be sold in plain sight without intervention? Moreover, beyond regulatory failure, this reflects a deeper moral decline. When living beings are reduced to merchandise, suffering becomes normalised. The mistreatment of voiceless animals fosters a culture where empathy erodes and that erosion eventually shows in how humans treat each other.
Authorities must act immediately: enforce wildlife protection laws, conduct regular inspections and shut down illegal trade in public view. Turning a blind eye not only enables cruelty but diminishes our collective humanity.
Sohaib Qureshi
Kotri
