Punjab govt imposes ban on slaughter of female animals

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday imposed a ban on the slaughter of useful female animals across the province.

According to state-run news agency, the decision was taken during a meeting presided over by Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in the provincial capital on Tuesday.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that the provincial government will set up animal disease-free zones across Punjab. He added that there is a lot of scope for livestock export to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

The chief minister stressed the need to increase the export of livestock through an immediate and actionable plan.

He also set up a committee, comprising the provincial minister for livestock, additional chief secretary, secretary livestock, secretary finance, All Pakistan Meat Exporters’ Association president, and commissioners of Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur, and tasked the committee to draw up a plan for increasing output of the livestock sector.

It is pertinent to mention here that this is not the first time the provincial government has imposed a ban on the slaughter of female animals. Previous bans resulted in a shortage of red meat and cattle in the market.