ISLAMABAD: The registrar office of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday served show-cause notices to Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, former PML-N ministers Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Mariyyum Aurangzeb, Capital Development Authority Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed, Islamabad Mayor Anser Aziz Sheikh and several others in connection with the death of lions being shifted from Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo.

Others served notices include Climate Change Secretary Naheed S. Durrani, Parliamentary Secretary Rukhsana Naveed, Chief Metropolitan Officer Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Inspector General of Forests Suleman Khan, Punjab Forest and Wildlife Secretary Mohammad Asif, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forestry Secretary Shahidullah, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Zahid Baig Mirza, Aitzazuddin, Vaqar Zakria, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) Chairman Dr Anisur Rehman, Dr Ghulam Akbar of the World Wildlife Federation and advocate Tariq Hassan.

Ms Aurangzeb, Mr Chaudhry and Senator Syed were issued show-cause notices as they are ex officio members of the IWMB.

In an earlier order, the IHC asked for animals to be shifted to sanctuaries. According to the climate change ministry’s report, the lions were being moved to a private farmhouse near Lahore.

According to footage that was widely circulated on social media depicting the lions being moved, visibly untrained and inexperienced staff set fire to the lions’ enclosure and could be seen abusing them.

The lions died from wounds, burn injuries and the inhalation of smoke.

Officials appear to have exposed themselves to be proceeded under Contempt of Court Ordinance, IHC CJ observed

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Aug 11 observed that “it prima facie, appears that they have exposed themselves to be proceeded against under the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003.”

In May, Justice Minallah had directed the government to relocate the lone elephant Kaavan as well as other animals detained in Marghazar Zoo to their respective sanctuaries.

The Ministry of Climate Change and the IWMB later informed the court that Kaavan was being shifted to a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary.

The court has noted: “The practice of capturing animals and keeping them in captivity is a relic of the past. It is a deplorable reflection of the treatment of living beings at the hands of another living species i.e humans. Exotic animals were collected and kept in captivity by the kings, queens and other nobility as a display of their power and might.”

It added: “The subjugation of wild exotic animals by another living species, possessing superior faculties and attributes, had become a symbol of power and superiority.”

According to the court order, a wild animal may be kept in custody to protect human life.

Two lions were killed while being relocated from the zoo allegedly because of negligence by the committee set up to relocate the animals. An FIR has also been registered against members of the committee with the Secretariat police.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2020