Pakistan govt allows donkey hides export under new trade policy

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has conditionally authorised the export of donkey hides through an amendment to the Ministry of Commerce’s Export Policy Order, according to a notification.

The move effectively lifts a ban imposed by the Economic Coordination Council (ECC) in 2015, when restrictions were introduced over concerns that donkey meat was being sold in various cities under the guise of beef and mutton.

Under the revised policy, donkey hides may only be exported by firms or companies operating in designated and approved donkey slaughterhouses within the Gwadar Free Zone.

The notification further stated that the clause prohibiting exports would be formally removed from the Export Policy Order.

Last year, the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce was informed that Pakistan had finalised protocols with China for the export of donkey hides and meat, alongside other agricultural commodities such as onions, potatoes, and chillies.

Meanwhile, animal welfare concerns remain significant. In August, a consultative workshop on working equines highlighted that out of 55.5 million donkeys worldwide, nearly six million are slaughtered annually.

The session underlined the importance of donkeys, mules, and horses in sustaining the livelihoods of poor and marginalised communities, while warning of growing threats linked to the donkey skin trade in Pakistan.