Activists urge end to cruelty against animals

Demand an inclusive habitat for all on the plane

ISLAMABAD:

Speakers at a Webinar called for measures to ensure the protection of animals and to end cruelty to them terming it as the need of the hour to make our planet a peaceful and an inclusive habitat for all.

Animal rights activists expressed these views with the participants of webinar ‘Plight of street animals in Pakistan; state of animal rights and a need for legislation’, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Wednesday.

Representing Rabies Free Pakistan (RFP), Dr Wajiha Javed, emphasised on a multi sectoral approach to sensitise society about animal rights.

Instead of culling dogs, she pointed out that we need to vaccinate them against rabies.

Besides, population of stray dogs could be controlled in a more humane way, instead of killing them, or poisoning them.

“The provincial and district governments need to work with the animal protection organisations to treat the rabies infected dogs and scientifically control their population,” Dr Javed said.

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She also highlighted the need to create awareness among people through textbooks by including lessons which teach compassion towards animals.

Founder of Lucky Animal Protection Shelter (LAPS), Peshawar Zeba Masood stressed that our young generation should be sensitised about cruelty against animals.

She lamented that the absence of any act in the province is an unfortunate apathy towards the animal rights.

Animal Rights Activist, Faryal Haq Nawaz, was of the view that the lack of support from our legal, political, and social system has been the main hurdle in treating animals with kindness.

She went on to add that “We need to take smart leverage on all the existing laws and rules regarding animals and put personal effort to create a better planet for them.”

Founder ACF Animal Rescue, Ayesha Chundrigar, called for changing overall behaviour towards animals, along with legislations.

“We need to humanise animals and make an inclusive planet for all creatures,” Chundrigar said adding that inculcating a right sense towards animals in the young generation is the need of the hour today.

Freelance Journalist and advocate of animal and digital rights Rabia Umaima Ahmed said that journalists are not equipped enough to do in-depth research on animal rights.

Advocate Islamabad High Court Owais Awan on the occasion opined that we need to make Public and private bodies to act as watchdog to prevent cruelty against animals.

Pakistan being a signatory to OIE, makes it mandatory to make it abide by rules to protect animals from all types of harm and violence, he added.

Research fellow at SDPI Ayesha IIlyas earlier opined that compassion and kindness towards animals in in our behaviour is the key to bring a change in the society and create a better environment for all cohabitants of the planet.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2021.