IHC issues show-cause notice to Zartaj Gul over death of lion pair

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to 19 people including Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Zartaj Gul over the death of a lion pair at Islamabad Zoo, previously known as Marghazar Zoo, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, besides a notice issued to the Zartaj Gul, Federal Secretary Climate Change Naheed Durrani, Chairman CDA Ameer Ali Ahmed, Chief Metropolitan Officer Ashfaq Hashmi, IG Forest Muhammad Suleman, Secretary Forests and Wildlife Punjab Captain (retd) Muhammad Asif and others were also show-caused in the case.

PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Mayor Islamabad, Senator Mushahid Hussain and others were also issued show-cause notices by the top Islamabad court over the matter.

The notices were issued on the directives of the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah by deputy registrar (judicial).

The court order also denied a request to transfer Himalayan bears from the zoo as it is considered an endangered specie globally.

It is pertinent to mention here that in a horrific incident, a lion reportedly died of suffocation after his cage was set on fire while being transferred from Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo to Lahore.

According to details, the lion’s enclosure cage was set on fire as the zoo staff wanted to transport lion and other animals out of the facility on the May 22 orders of the Islamabad High Court.

Sources said the condition of the lion deteriorated because of burns and suffocation, which later on resulted in his death.

Three blue bulls (Nilgai) and an ostrich have already died at the Islamabad zoo due to the incompetence of Zoo administration.