IHC reserves verdict over plea on adverse conditions in Islamabad Zoo

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Friday reserved judgment in a case regarding adverse conditions of animals at the capital city’s zoo after arguments from the lawyers, ARY News reported.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that Municipal Corporation Islamabad has accepted, it has no sufficient funds and it could not take care of the animals.

A lawyer argued that the money earned from Islamabad Zoo not being spent on the care of animals. The funds generated from parking and other contracts not used for the welfare of animals.

The court witnessing the behaviour of the municipal corporation, chief justice Athar Minallah said. “It is the issue of contracts which is affecting the animals,” chief justice remarked.

“It is our collective responsibility to take care of the rights of animals,” the bench remarked.

The MCI officers have confessed here that they could not take care of the animals, the bench further remarked.

In an earlier hearing, Justice Athar Minallah said that the administration intends to bring three more elephants while even not properly taking care of a lone elephant in the zoo.

Addressing the zoo officials the chief justice said if you people could not take care of the elephant send it back to Sri Lanka.

The officials said that none of Pakistani zoo including the zoological gardens at Karachi and Lahore meet international standards.

The court remarked, if you could not provide proper food and care to animals then send them back to (their countries of origin).

The IHC had earlier handed over the charge of the zoo to the Ministry of Climate Change due to the adverse condition of animals in the zoo.