Animal cruelty is prevalent in Pakistan. The shocking number of animal cruelty cases is reported every day on social media and is just the tip of the iceberg and most cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they are. However, we can use the information that is available to try to understand and prevent cases of abuse.

The North-West Frontier Province Wild-life (protection, preservation conservation and management) Act, 1975 is the only law dealing with the protection and welfare of wildlife at the provincial level. But this law looks to regulate hunting, trading meat and trophies, as well as the maintenance and regulation of reserves and national parks.

Sentience is not recognized explicitly in Pakistan legislation, but there is acknowledgement that animals can feel pain and suffer in the prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1890 (section-3).  This refers to domestic or captured animals (section-2). The Act also requires animals to be protected from injury and suffering when used in fighting events, from overloading, bestiality and from being killed in an un necessary cruel manner.

This House resolves that the lack of recent updating demonstrates a lack of attention to animal welfare in the country. Therefore the legislation is not sufficient for enabling animal sentience and the concept of animal welfare to be recognized in the provinces and throughout country. The members of Pakhtunkhwa Assembly demand that the relevant departments must enforce existing legislation and agree to introduce more progressive laws highlighting the importance of animal protection, including by introducing more progressive law highlighting the importance of animals protection, including by introducing the full concept of sentience in legislation to ensure stricter punishments for the protection of animals from human brutality.