Eidul Azha: PHC orders govt to ban permits for transporting animals to Afghanistan

PESHAWAR: To control prices of sacrificial animals, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued directives to the government to impose a complete ban on issuing of permits of transportation of animals to Afghanistan till Eidul Azha.

A division bench comprising Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan issued the ban order to the government in a writ petition filed by lawyers Yasir Khattak and Ashfaq Khalil against the illegal transformation of cattle to Afghanistan and ban on permits till Eidul Azha.

During arguments, the lawyers submitted before the bench that smuggling of cattle to Afghanistan ahead of Eidul Azha has reached its peak.

They submitted that due to smuggling of cattle and misuse of permits, scarcity of animals occurred in the province and as a result, it burdened locals with high prices for sacrificial animals.

Yasir Khattak informed the bench that the Afghan government had stopped small animals to Pakistan, then why not Pakistan stop cattle transportation to Afghanistan till Eidul Azha. He said massive smuggling continued under permits and it could not be controlled until and unless the complete ban is imposed till Eidul Azha.

The petitioner maintained that on previous hearing, the court had issued a direction to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the provincial police officer to take measures to curb smuggling of cattle to Afghanistan to control prices of sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha.

However, smuggling continued due to the permits and the government failed to control it. During the hearing, Justice Ibrahim Khan said it was very strange that cattle smuggling was being reported.

The lawyer submitted before the bench that in the past smuggling continued despite the KP government ban on the illegal transportation of the cattle to Afghanistan from KP province at least for three days of Eidul Azha. It was also submitted before the court that the above facts are already in the knowledge of the government and general public, but the government did not impose a ban on the animals’ transportation this time ahead of Eid.