ISLAMABAD: The federal government has banned testing and surgeries on live animals at veterinary schools and industrial complexes and imposed jail terms and fines for animal cruelty.

Addressing a news conference, Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Salman Suf said animal welfare was a major neglected area in the country and the existing animal welfare laws were being amended.

He said the government was introducing amendments to a British-era law to bring about the change as we still relied on a law dating to 1890 on animal welfare.

“There is a law from 1800, on the basis of which we have been monitoring animal welfare. Now, with the Prime Minister’s approval, an amendment is being made to the law,” Sufi explained.

The main features include disbanding of live testing of animals in any veterinary colleges, hotline to report cruelty with pets, fine and jail terms and regulation of pet markets.

He said a comprehensive animal welfare law would be tabled in the next session of Parliament to implement at the national level. The provinces would also be requested to enact the law so that the issue would be resolved in an effective way.

He said that citizens would be able to report any act of cruelty toward animals through a hotline, noting that the offenders would face Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 fine along with jail term.

He noted a standard set of guidelines was also going to be announced to regulate pet markets across the country, adding that violators would be fined and their shops could be closed.

The groundbreaking move follows public outrage over videos posted to social media depicting local veterinary students operating on live, suffering dogs reportedly taken from the streets.

Animal rights activists expressed outrage after veterinary schools were found using live stray dogs, cats to teach students how to perform incisions and stitching while other animals were kept in inhumane conditions.

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