PESHAWAR: Following a volley of citizen complaints, the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has decided to start sterilizing thousands of stray dogs to cease their reproduction soon after the completion of the first-ever census of these animals by next week, an official said on Friday.
“Backed by thousands of staff, a comprehensive survey of stray dogs in Peshawar will be completed by coming Monday which will then set the sterilization process of these canines in motion,” Hassan Ai, media manager at the WSSP, told Arab News.
He added the provincial government previously killed stray dogs but a court verdict banned the practice, calling it inhumane.
After a series of meetings and deliberations, the WSSP, in coordination with other departments, reached a sterilization mechanism which would prevent dogs from breeding further and reduce the danger of them biting the general public.
Dr. Syed Masoom Ali, district director of the Livestock Department, told Arab News his team would carry out the sterilization and vaccination process for stray dogs.
“The male dogs will be surgically neutered while the female dogs will undergo spaying surgeries. The dogs will be tagged with microchips and a ribbon will also be tied to their collars to identify them after vaccination and sterilization,” he added.
Dr. Ali said a spacious location had been identified outside the city where these stray dogs would be kept for four days after necessary medical formalities.
The WSSP surged to action after it received an overwhelming number of citizen complaints through an app, Safa Pekhawar (Clean Peshawar), regarding stray dogs in the city.
Depending on the success of the drive, the provincial government could think about extending the program to other big cities of the province as well, said the WSSP media manager.
The vaccination of one dog, he said, would cost Rs2500. The vaccinated animals, he continued, would be kept in a solitary place for 15 days, adding that a rough estimate suggested that the project would cost Rs50 million.
“It is premature to say about the number of stray dogs in Peshawar city, but a ballpark estimate suggests it has surged to 15000,” Hassan Ali said.
Pakistan’s KP province to sterilize stray dogs, say officials
Pakistan’s KP province to sterilize stray dogs, say officials
- The provincial administration previously killed these animals, but the practice was banned by a court that called it inhumane
- The overall project to deal with stray dogs may cost about Rs50 million
Pakistan confers second-highest civilian award on Saudi commerce minister for strengthening ties
- Pakistan’s Ambassador Ahmad Farooq confers Hilal-e-Pakistan award on Saudi Commerce Minister Majid Al-Kassabi in Riyadh
- Award reflects depth of longstanding partnership and strong trade relations between both nations, says Saudi Press Agency
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq conferred the country’s second-highest civilian award on the Kingdom’s Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Kassabi on Sunday for his contribution in strengthening ties between Islamabad and Riyadh, the Pakistan embassy in Saudi Arabia said.
Farooq conferred the Hilal-e-Pakistan award on Al-Kassabi during a meeting between the two in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency confirmed in a report on Sunday. The SPA said they also discussed ways to enhance bilateral trade relations during their meeting.
“On behalf of President of Pakistan, Ambassador Ahmad Farooq, conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan on Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi, Minister of Commerce of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to strengthening Pakistan, Saudi Arabia relations,” the Pakistan embassy in Saudi Arabia wrote on X.
“The award reflects the depth of the longstanding partnership and strong trade relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan, serving as an impetus to further strengthen joint cooperation for the benefit of both countries and their peoples,” the SPA said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial ties that date back decades and span cooperation in several sectors such as defense, trade, economy, agriculture, livestock and minerals.
Saudi Arabia is the largest source of foreign remittances to Pakistan, with over two million Pakistani expats residing in the Kingdom. Riyadh has also helped bail Pakistan out of several economic crises over the years, providing it oil on deferred payments and loans in critical times.
The two countries also signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement in September 2025, according to which an act of aggression against one country will be seen as an attack on both.
