Cattle owner moves court against Cantt board

Says they are being kept in the cold, hungry.

LAHORE: Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday summoned the Lahore cantonment board secretary in person on December 2 (today).

The secretary has been summoned on a petition filed by one Muhammad Ishaq against the compounding of his 22 buffaloes and 7 of their calves by the board.

Ishaq, the owner of the buffaloes, submitted that the animals were in the unlawful custody of the cantonment board. He said that four days ago board officials had come to his house and taken away all of his buffaloes after objecting to him keeping the cattle in Cantt limits.

He said that his cattle would die of hunger and alleged that they were being mistreated by the board. He also alleged that the board was not allowing him to give fodder to his cattle. “They are at risk of falling ill or dying from hunger,” Ishaq submitted. The petitioner told the court that the animals were being kept in an open compound and added that 4 calves had already died from the cold and hunger.

Ishaq asked the court that the board be directed to speed up the legal process.

After hearing the petitioner’s counsel the judge summoned the secretary of the Cantt board asking him to explain who was responsible for feeding the animals while they were in the board’s custody. The judge also asked the secretary to tell the court why legal action on the matter was being delayed.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2010.