KARACHI: The Sindh wildlife department on Thursday ordered to confiscate four lions and two tigers, kept as pets by a resident of Karachi and seen roaming freely in a compound, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Keeping wild cats as pets is not uncommon in Pakistan, where wealthy businessmen have been known to operate private zoos and sometimes parade the animals for the public.
Media reported panic and alarm among citizens of the port city’s Gulshan-e-Hadeed area on Tuesday night after they saw the animals uncaged and roaming freely within a compound.
“I have ordered to confiscate the animals and shift them to Karachi Zoo for 45 days. The owner of the animals may auction them during this period. If he doesn’t do it, however, they will become the property of the zoo,” Javed Ahmed Mahar, conservator of the Sindh Wildlife Department, told Arab News after passing the order in the capacity of a magistrate.
The order noted that the “act of possessing ‘Big Cats’ without the ‘Certificate of Lawful Possession’ was bad in the eyes of Law” and keeping dangerous animals in a residential area “could put lives of people at great risk.”
“As requested by the owner during the proceedings and keeping in view the financial aspect of this case and to save the owner from heavy financial losses, he has been provided with a chance during this period [of 45 days] to publish an advertisement in newspapers for the sale of lions through open auction,” the order read, adding that the owner would pay the feeding expenses to the Karachi Zoo, though the animal sanctuary would not take any rental or other charges.
Speaking to Arab News on Thursday, Mahar said the owner of the animals, Zuhaib Ali, had presented an expired license before the department this morning, adding that the license only gave permission to maintain a mini-zoo with birds and herbivores, not dangerous animals like lions and tigers. The license also did not apply to Ali’s area of residence, the conservator added.
Ali told Arab News one lion had come out of its cage when a janitor went in to clean it but was immediately put back in.
“These are my pet animals which I have adopted since these were two-months old, they cannot harm anyone,” Ali said, adding that he believed he had all necessary documentation allowing him to keep the animals in any area with thirty-feet high boundary walls.
“These are like my children,” Ali said. “If these are freed in the wild, they will die.”
In 2017, police in Pakistan arrested a man who took his pet lion for a night-time drive through the streets of the bustling city of Karachi after video of the incident went viral on social media.
In 2015, a pet lioness gave birth to five cubs in the central city of Multan, media said at the time.
Wildlife department confiscates pet lions, tigers from Karachi resident
https://arab.news/j2c7w
Wildlife department confiscates pet lions, tigers from Karachi resident
- Media reported panic among Gulshan-e-Hadeed residents on Tuesday after they saw the animals roaming freely within a compound
- Owner Zuhaib Ali says he has raised the imported pets since they were two months old, “they cannot harm anyone”
Pakistan announces plan to develop Port Qasim into climate-resilient industrial complex
- Port Qasim handles 51% of Pakistan’s sea trade, facilitates Islamabad’s trade with Central Asian states
- Maritime affairs ministry says 833 industrial units currently operational at Port Qasim, with 40 under construction
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Ministry announced on Monday that it aims to develop Port Qasim into a climate-resilient industrial complex, saying the move would create jobs, usher in investment and ensure sustainable development for the country.
According to its website, Port Qasim is one of the largest contributors to Pakistan’s economy, handling 51 percent of the country’s sea trade. The port also connects directly to Pakistan’s national highway and motorway network, facilitating trade between Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics.
Pakistan has recently attempted to upgrade its port infrastructure to handle higher trade volumes and improve connectivity between sea lanes and landlocked Central Asian states, leveraging its geographic position at the crossroads of South and Central Asia.
Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting to discuss projects related to Port Qasim, the ministry said in a statement.
“During the meeting, a long-term plan for a climate-resilient industrial complex at Port Qasim was announced,” the statement said.
Chaudhry said Port Qasim would be developed into a global industrial and logistics hub, adding that it will become a “key gateway” for Pakistan’s national economy.
Officials briefed the minister that the development project for the port would cover an area of more than 14,000 acres. The port’s industrial complex has been divided into three distinct zones, with the eastern one designated for heavy industry and export-oriented units, and the northwestern zone for the promotion of value-added industries and port services.
The southwestern zone of the complex has been earmarked for special industrial and commercial activities, the ministry said.
Chaudhry said 833 industrial units are currently operational at the port while 40 are under construction. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernizing port infrastructure and improving road and rail connectivity.
“Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the Port Qasim Industrial Complex will emerge as a hub for employment generation, investment, and sustainable development,” the statement said.
Pakistan seeks to upgrade streamline port operations and enhance trade relations with regional countries as it seeks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has put a strain on its resources and triggered a balance of payments crisis in the country over the past few years.
