Court moved against elephant import

LAHORE:Two NGOs have filed an application before the Lahore High Court to become a party to a case of the import of two elephants from Namibia to Pakistan.

Earlier this year, the court was approached with a petition seeking the import of elephants to the Lahore Zoo in the name of the right to leisure. The NGOs seek to challenge the order, which directed the Ministry of Climate Change to issue an NOC allowing the Lahore zoo to import two elephants from Namibia. “There is an international backlash against keeping of elephants in captivity. Animal rights activists in Pakistan do not want the Pakistani government to engage in the practice of capturing wild animals from their natural habitats and caging them for entertainment,” says Mahera Omar of Pakistan Animal Welfare Society. “Pakistan has no reason to import African elephants for its zoos. It should instead focus on protecting its own wildlife and allow their natural habitats to be safe havens for its biodiversity,” said Amber Alibhai, general secretary, Shehri-CBE.