Pet market demolition lamented

LAHORE:

Animal rights activists lit candles near Bhati Chowk on Sunday evening to mourn the alleged deaths of animals and birds during an anti-encroachment operation carried out earlier in the week.

The vigil took place at the site where the Bird and Pet Market stood before being reduced to rubble. The protesters silently held candles and demanded justice for what they called "the voiceless victims of development".

The incident had occurred early Wednesday morning when the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), traffic engineering staff and local police demolished the decades-old market situated on 16 kanals of land near Data Darbar.

According to an LDA spokesperson, the operation was part of the Bhati Chowk Remodeling Project, aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving facilities for devotees. The spokesperson asserted that all shopkeepers had been notified in advance and that no animals were harmed during the clearance.

However, affected traders and animal welfare groups disputed the official claim, alleging that the operation was sudden and left dozens of birds, cats, rabbits, and other small animals buried under the debris.

The Bird Market Association President Muhammad Saleem said bulldozers arrived "in the dead of night" without giving anyone a chance to evacuate. "All we could hear were the cries of the trapped animals," he said, adding that officials had earlier promised a two-day grace period before eviction.

As videos and images of injured or dead birds circulated on social media, the LDA released its own footage, dismissing the viral content as "misleading". Meanwhile, several animal welfare organisations launched an online campaign.

Prominent artists and public figures have also expressed concern.

Actor Mashal Khan described the incident as "a reflection of our collective apathy," while Mahira Khan urged the government to "take responsibility and make the facts public."