Lions' deaths investigated by those responsible: IHC

The registration of a first information report (FIR) against unidentified suspects over the deaths of a lion and a lioness while shifting them to Lahore from the Islamabad Zoo angered the court, which has asked to include names of senior officials who were tasked with managing the transfer of animals to sanctuaries.

This was directed on Tuesday by a single-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah as it heard a case of shifting animals from the Islamabad Zoo (Marghzar Zoo).

During Tuesday’s hearing, the Deputy Attorney General (DAG) told the court that an FIR has been registered over the death of a lion and lioness.

At this, Chief Justice Minallah asked who had been nominated in the report. When he was told that the FIR was against unidentified suspects, he remarked that all members of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) were responsible for the deaths of wild animals at the zoo and that they should be nominated in the FIR too.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman, Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Mayor, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, and the Minister of State for Climate Change are all guilty, he stated.

The Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) secretary, who appeared before the court, presented a notification comprising the names of those on IWMB’s board.

At this, the court asked, “Who is the minister in charge of the federal cabinet?”. The secretary responded by saying it was Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Minallah inquired if the prime minister was responsible for the death of animals at the zoo. The MoCC secretary clarified that it was the representative of the prime minister who is a part of IWMB.

The court stated that the matter should not be confused, adding that the deaths of wild animals are very painful.

He directed the secretary to include names of the board members responsible for the incident in the FIR.

“How will humans be treated here when animals are treated this way?” the IHC chief justice lamented.

The court stated that those responsible for the untoward incident were the ones investigating it as well.

It is always easy to take credit but hard to embrace responsibility, he remarked.

CJ Minallah noted that they have observed during proceedings in the case over the past year, that every institution was just interested in taking over management of the zoo.

“It feels like everyone is just doing politics,” CJ Minallah commented.

The petitioner in the case said that they did not want the bears at the zoo to meet the same fate as the lions.

At this, the chief justice said that he had already tasked the MoCC to handle the matter. Further hearings of the case were adjourned until August 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2020.