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Rights for the Voiceless: Court Orders CDA to Adopt Scientific 'Trap, Vaccinate, and Release' Program
In a landmark 24-page judgment, the Islamabad High Court has permanently banned the shooting, poisoning, and culling of stray dogs in the federal capital. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro ordered the CDA and municipal authorities to implement the humane "Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release" (TNVR) framework, establishing an official animal abuse registry and ruling that only qualified veterinarians may authorize euthanasia for terminally ill or rabid animals
ND
by News Desk
2026-05-22
Rights for the Voiceless: Court Orders CDA to Adopt Scientific 'Trap, Vaccinate, and Release' Program

Detailed Report

  • The Landmark Ruling: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a historic, 24-page detailed judgment permanently banning the poisoning, shooting, and indiscriminate killing of stray dogs across the federal capital. Presiding judge Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro disposed of two constitutional petitions filed by local residents challenging the non-implementation of the official Stray Dog Population Control Policy for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

  • The Evidence of Cruelty: The court expressed severe concern over graphic photographic evidence produced during the proceedings, which showed dead dogs piled inside a Capital Development Authority (CDA) vehicle. The municipal respondents failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the carcasses, prompting Justice Soomro to observe that such arbitrary, ad hoc conduct "raises serious concerns not merely of administrative lapse but of a fundamental departure from the rule of law." Relying on Islamic teachings from the Holy Quran and Sunnah, the court held that mass and indiscriminate killings cannot be reconciled with Islamic law or international welfare principles.

  • Mandating the CNVR Framework: Under the new judicial order, the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), the CDA, and the ICT administration must strictly replace lethal culling with a scientific "Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release" (CNVR) program. Authorities are directed to frame clear standard operating procedures for the humane capture, transport, sheltering, treatment, and release of the animals. Furthermore, the court explicitly barred the removal of lactating, collared, vaccinated, or healthy community dogs from their local areas.

  • Structural Safeguards & Waste Management: Moving forward, the IHC ruled that euthanasia can only be used as a limited, exceptional measure for critically ill, severely injured, or actively rabid animals—and it must be certified and carried out exclusively by qualified veterinarians. The respondents have been given 60 days to submit a compliance report. The judgment also mandates:

    • The establishment of an official animal abuse registry and a dog-bite incident database.

    • The formation of a specialized advisory committee comprising veterinarians, zoonotic disease experts, animal welfare organizations, and civil society representatives.

    • Improved waste management in residential and commercial areas to eliminate open food sources, alongside regulating the feeding of strays at designated times and places.

    • The court noted that Pakistan severely lacks uniform national legislation on stray animal management, as the existing Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act dates back to 1890 and remains completely outdated.
Tagged:

#IHC #AnimalRightsPakistan #StrayDogPolicy #Islamabad #HumanePopulationControl #TNVR #AnimalWelfare #CDA #BreakingNewsPakistan
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