END MUNICIPAL ANIMAL CAPTIVITY. END THE PUBLIC FUNDING OF CRUELTY.
The Issue
An urgent public demand to the Government of Sindh, the Mayor of Karachi and relevant municipal authorities.
Submitted by: I AM NOOR JEHAN MOVEMENT
THE DEMAND
We demand the immediate investigation and eventual closure of municipal animal-display facilities operating at:
Nasir Hussain Shaheed Family Park, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Bagh-e-Rizwan Family Park & Mini Zoo.
Our demand extends beyond these two facilities. We are calling for a province-wide investigation into other municipal mini zoos and public animal-display establishments operating under similar arrangements.
Our position is unequivocal:
WILD ANIMALS DO NOT BELONG IN MUNICIPAL CAGES FOR HUMAN ENTERTAINMENT.
We are not asking for better cages, temporary repairs or cosmetic improvements. We are demanding an end to the practice of keeping wild animals captive for public exhibition and amusement.
1. WHAT WE WITNESSED
Following public concern and photographs circulating on social media, representatives of the I Am Noor Jehan Movement visited Nasir Hussain Shaheed Family Park.
We observed a rhesus macaque confined behind iron bars and ducks drinking from visibly filthy water. Serious questions arose about food, drinking water, veterinary care and the animals' living conditions.
We subsequently visited Bagh-e-Rizwan Family Park & Mini Zoo.
The monkey enclosures contained garbage, rotten fruit and discarded plastic bottles. Children were feeding monkeys chips and spicy snacks, with virtually no effective control over public feeding. We witnessed a child striking an enclosure with a slipper to provoke a reaction from the monkeys. The accompanying mother defended the behaviour. The monkeys had no proper, secure drinking-water arrangements. Staff explained that the animals overturned the containers provided to them. These primates were confined to extremely restricted enclosures, approximately seven by seven feet, with serious concerns about their ability to climb, move, explore and socialize.
Where is the qualified animal-care staff? Where is the veterinary supervision? Where are the health, feeding and mortality records?
These are not minor maintenance issues. They raise fundamental questions about whether these facilities are suitable for keeping wild animals at all.
2. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The Government must establish the legal and administrative authority under which these facilities operate and the animals are being kept.
The Sindh Wildlife Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management Act, 2020 provides a statutory framework for wildlife protection and enforcement. Section 47 addresses cruelty, including the keeping of wildlife in undersized enclosures causing discomfort.
The Sindh Wildlife Protection Rules, 2022 also address mini-zoo licensing. Rule 90 and its prescribed licence form raise important questions concerning the legal authority to keep primates in such facilities.
We demand a clear legal determination of the licences, permits, possession certificates and approvals under which the animals at these two facilities are being held.
We further demand that Sindh Wildlife be empowered to exercise its statutory responsibilities effectively across municipal and provincial facilities.
WILDLIFE PROTECTION CANNOT STOP AT THE GATE OF A MUNICIPAL PARK.
Sindh Wildlife must have:
Clear authority to inspect all public and municipal facilities housing wild animals.
The power to issue binding directions and initiate enforcement proceedings.
Clear procedures for lawful seizure, confiscation and transfer where legal grounds exist.
Formal interdepartmental protocols preventing municipal authorities from obstructing lawful intervention.
Adequate resources and institutional protection for officers performing their duties lawfully and in good faith.
No department should be allowed to avoid responsibility by pointing towards another.
3. PUBLIC MONEY, PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY
We demand an independent audit of all public funds allocated to these two facilities and other comparable municipal mini zoos.
The audit must disclose expenditure on animal food, veterinary treatment, medication, staffing, maintenance, procurement and animal acquisition.
The public deserves to know how much money is allocated in the name of animal care, how much is actually spent and who is accountable for it.
And there is a much larger question.
Pakistan continues to borrow from international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, while struggling with enormous demands on public finances and essential healthcare services.
Families face inadequate healthcare, unsafe drinking water, preventable diseases and limited access to essential medical services.
Against this backdrop, why should taxpayers' money continue supporting the exhibition and confinement of wild animals for entertainment?
Why should public resources sustain municipal animal-display facilities when they could be directed towards human healthcare, clean water, education and other urgent public needs?
We are not suggesting that animals already in government custody should be denied food, treatment or care. Those remain public responsibilities until appropriate arrangements are secured.
We are challenging the continued financing of the institution of animal captivity for entertainment.
WE CANNOT JUSTIFY BORROWING FOR PUBLIC NEEDS WHILE TREATING PUBLIC MONEY AS AN ENTITLEMENT TO SUSTAIN CRUEL CAPTIVITY.
4. WE HAVE A SOLUTION. WE ARE OFFERING ONE.
The predictable response to demands for ending municipal zoos is that the animals have nowhere to go.
We reject that excuse.
The I Am Noor Jehan Movement has sanctuary space available and is prepared to work towards providing appropriate accommodation and care for the monkeys currently held at the two facilities identified in this petition.
We are not advocating indiscriminate release into the wild or transfers without veterinary assessment.
We are offering a responsible alternative involving species-appropriate accommodation, specialist care, individual assessments, lawful transfers and long-term monitoring.
We are prepared to work with the relevant authorities, qualified veterinarians and primate specialists to develop appropriate transition arrangements.
WE ARE NOT JUST COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SYSTEM. WE ARE OFFERING TO HELP END IT.
The Government has an opportunity to resolve this matter responsibly, rather than defend a system that is increasingly difficult to justify.
5. OUR FORMAL DEMANDS
We call upon the Government of Sindh, the Mayor of Karachi and all relevant municipal authorities to:
Immediately investigate Nasir Hussain Shaheed Family Park and Bagh-e-Rizwan Family Park & Mini Zoo, documenting the conditions and needs of every animal.
Commission a province-wide census of municipal mini zoos and public animal-display facilities, identifying every animal, its origin, legal status, health and responsible authority.
Commit to the closure of these facilities as animal-display venues, with a clear, time-bound programme to end the municipal practice of keeping wild animals for public entertainment.
Suspend new acquisitions, breeding and expansion of captive animal collections pending implementation of the closure programme.
Clarify and strengthen Sindh Wildlife's enforcement powers, ensuring lawful inspections and interventions cannot be obstructed by municipal or departmental boundaries.
Commission independent financial audits of public expenditure on food, veterinary care, staffing and maintenance, and make the findings public.
Facilitate responsible animal transfers, engaging with the I Am Noor Jehan Movement and qualified specialists to assess sanctuary placement and appropriate lifelong care.
Publish an implementation timetable, inspection findings, enforcement actions and progress reports identifying the departments responsible.
We do not want another committee that meets, takes photographs and disappears. We want measurable action, public disclosure and accountability.
6. AVOIDABLE NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT
A government should not need international exposure to address conditions that exist in its own public parks.
These facilities are visible to families, children and visitors. Their conditions are being discussed publicly. The authorities have an opportunity to investigate and resolve the matter before it becomes another international example of institutional failure.
Governments should not behave in ways that turn their own administrative failures into national embarrassment.
We are offering the Sindh Government and Karachi's municipal authorities an opportunity to resolve this responsibly, transparently and with dignity.
If they fail to act, the I Am Noor Jehan Movement will continue
Jude Allen - Founder, I am Noor Jehan Movement
Animal Rights. Advocacy oversight. Policy. Environment. Governance
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Mv1p3XZbL/
☝️Follow the post for more details and images.
194
The Issue
An urgent public demand to the Government of Sindh, the Mayor of Karachi and relevant municipal authorities.
Submitted by: I AM NOOR JEHAN MOVEMENT
THE DEMAND
We demand the immediate investigation and eventual closure of municipal animal-display facilities operating at:
Nasir Hussain Shaheed Family Park, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Bagh-e-Rizwan Family Park & Mini Zoo.
Our demand extends beyond these two facilities. We are calling for a province-wide investigation into other municipal mini zoos and public animal-display establishments operating under similar arrangements.
Our position is unequivocal:
WILD ANIMALS DO NOT BELONG IN MUNICIPAL CAGES FOR HUMAN ENTERTAINMENT.
We are not asking for better cages, temporary repairs or cosmetic improvements. We are demanding an end to the practice of keeping wild animals captive for public exhibition and amusement.
1. WHAT WE WITNESSED
Following public concern and photographs circulating on social media, representatives of the I Am Noor Jehan Movement visited Nasir Hussain Shaheed Family Park.
We observed a rhesus macaque confined behind iron bars and ducks drinking from visibly filthy water. Serious questions arose about food, drinking water, veterinary care and the animals' living conditions.
We subsequently visited Bagh-e-Rizwan Family Park & Mini Zoo.
The monkey enclosures contained garbage, rotten fruit and discarded plastic bottles. Children were feeding monkeys chips and spicy snacks, with virtually no effective control over public feeding. We witnessed a child striking an enclosure with a slipper to provoke a reaction from the monkeys. The accompanying mother defended the behaviour. The monkeys had no proper, secure drinking-water arrangements. Staff explained that the animals overturned the containers provided to them. These primates were confined to extremely restricted enclosures, approximately seven by seven feet, with serious concerns about their ability to climb, move, explore and socialize.
Where is the qualified animal-care staff? Where is the veterinary supervision? Where are the health, feeding and mortality records?
These are not minor maintenance issues. They raise fundamental questions about whether these facilities are suitable for keeping wild animals at all.
2. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The Government must establish the legal and administrative authority under which these facilities operate and the animals are being kept.
The Sindh Wildlife Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management Act, 2020 provides a statutory framework for wildlife protection and enforcement. Section 47 addresses cruelty, including the keeping of wildlife in undersized enclosures causing discomfort.
The Sindh Wildlife Protection Rules, 2022 also address mini-zoo licensing. Rule 90 and its prescribed licence form raise important questions concerning the legal authority to keep primates in such facilities.
We demand a clear legal determination of the licences, permits, possession certificates and approvals under which the animals at these two facilities are being held.
We further demand that Sindh Wildlife be empowered to exercise its statutory responsibilities effectively across municipal and provincial facilities.
WILDLIFE PROTECTION CANNOT STOP AT THE GATE OF A MUNICIPAL PARK.
Sindh Wildlife must have:
Clear authority to inspect all public and municipal facilities housing wild animals.
The power to issue binding directions and initiate enforcement proceedings.
Clear procedures for lawful seizure, confiscation and transfer where legal grounds exist.
Formal interdepartmental protocols preventing municipal authorities from obstructing lawful intervention.
Adequate resources and institutional protection for officers performing their duties lawfully and in good faith.
No department should be allowed to avoid responsibility by pointing towards another.
3. PUBLIC MONEY, PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY
We demand an independent audit of all public funds allocated to these two facilities and other comparable municipal mini zoos.
The audit must disclose expenditure on animal food, veterinary treatment, medication, staffing, maintenance, procurement and animal acquisition.
The public deserves to know how much money is allocated in the name of animal care, how much is actually spent and who is accountable for it.
And there is a much larger question.
Pakistan continues to borrow from international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, while struggling with enormous demands on public finances and essential healthcare services.
Families face inadequate healthcare, unsafe drinking water, preventable diseases and limited access to essential medical services.
Against this backdrop, why should taxpayers' money continue supporting the exhibition and confinement of wild animals for entertainment?
Why should public resources sustain municipal animal-display facilities when they could be directed towards human healthcare, clean water, education and other urgent public needs?
We are not suggesting that animals already in government custody should be denied food, treatment or care. Those remain public responsibilities until appropriate arrangements are secured.
We are challenging the continued financing of the institution of animal captivity for entertainment.
WE CANNOT JUSTIFY BORROWING FOR PUBLIC NEEDS WHILE TREATING PUBLIC MONEY AS AN ENTITLEMENT TO SUSTAIN CRUEL CAPTIVITY.
4. WE HAVE A SOLUTION. WE ARE OFFERING ONE.
The predictable response to demands for ending municipal zoos is that the animals have nowhere to go.
We reject that excuse.
The I Am Noor Jehan Movement has sanctuary space available and is prepared to work towards providing appropriate accommodation and care for the monkeys currently held at the two facilities identified in this petition.
We are not advocating indiscriminate release into the wild or transfers without veterinary assessment.
We are offering a responsible alternative involving species-appropriate accommodation, specialist care, individual assessments, lawful transfers and long-term monitoring.
We are prepared to work with the relevant authorities, qualified veterinarians and primate specialists to develop appropriate transition arrangements.
WE ARE NOT JUST COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SYSTEM. WE ARE OFFERING TO HELP END IT.
The Government has an opportunity to resolve this matter responsibly, rather than defend a system that is increasingly difficult to justify.
5. OUR FORMAL DEMANDS
We call upon the Government of Sindh, the Mayor of Karachi and all relevant municipal authorities to:
Immediately investigate Nasir Hussain Shaheed Family Park and Bagh-e-Rizwan Family Park & Mini Zoo, documenting the conditions and needs of every animal.
Commission a province-wide census of municipal mini zoos and public animal-display facilities, identifying every animal, its origin, legal status, health and responsible authority.
Commit to the closure of these facilities as animal-display venues, with a clear, time-bound programme to end the municipal practice of keeping wild animals for public entertainment.
Suspend new acquisitions, breeding and expansion of captive animal collections pending implementation of the closure programme.
Clarify and strengthen Sindh Wildlife's enforcement powers, ensuring lawful inspections and interventions cannot be obstructed by municipal or departmental boundaries.
Commission independent financial audits of public expenditure on food, veterinary care, staffing and maintenance, and make the findings public.
Facilitate responsible animal transfers, engaging with the I Am Noor Jehan Movement and qualified specialists to assess sanctuary placement and appropriate lifelong care.
Publish an implementation timetable, inspection findings, enforcement actions and progress reports identifying the departments responsible.
We do not want another committee that meets, takes photographs and disappears. We want measurable action, public disclosure and accountability.
6. AVOIDABLE NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT
A government should not need international exposure to address conditions that exist in its own public parks.
These facilities are visible to families, children and visitors. Their conditions are being discussed publicly. The authorities have an opportunity to investigate and resolve the matter before it becomes another international example of institutional failure.
Governments should not behave in ways that turn their own administrative failures into national embarrassment.
We are offering the Sindh Government and Karachi's municipal authorities an opportunity to resolve this responsibly, transparently and with dignity.
If they fail to act, the I Am Noor Jehan Movement will continue
Jude Allen - Founder, I am Noor Jehan Movement
Animal Rights. Advocacy oversight. Policy. Environment. Governance
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Mv1p3XZbL/
☝️Follow the post for more details and images.
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Petition created on 2 November 2026