Landlord allegedly beats cow to death for entering his field

HARIPUR: A man in Upper Khanpur has accused a local landowner of brutally attacking and killing his cow after it mistakenly wandered into his field.

This tragic incident of animal abuse surfaced amidst positive news about animal rights from Sindh, where a camel that lost its leg due to mutilation in Sanghar district in June 2024 stood up for the first time in a year using a prosthetic leg.  

Passenger bus attacked in Kalat, three killed, several injured

The camel’s front leg was allegedly chopped off by a landlord for foraging in his field. Six suspects were remanded in connection with the incident as well. Since then, the camel has been living at the CDRS shelter in Karachi, where she has also underwent rehabilitation, and today she got a prosthetic leg.

The fresh incident of animal cruelty occurred within the jurisdiction of Khanpur Police Station and raised growing concerns about animal rights.

‘Owner set his dogs on cow’

According to an application submitted to the police, Mehmoodur Rehman — a resident of Dhanniyan village — alleged that his cow, which had recently given birth, strayed into a field belonging to Chaudhry Qayyum.

Rehman claims Qayyum set dogs on the cow for trespassing, pelted it with stones, and beat it with batons, ultimately breaking its leg.

Court moved for lodging blasphemy case against YouTuber Rajab Butt

Rehman said the cow remained in agony throughout the day, suffering in the heat and without water, before eventually dying without being given any relief or mercy.

He added that the animal was not even slaughtered to ease its pain and that the incident was witnessed by a man named Hasan Ali.

“My cow had just given birth, and now the calf is without milk. The cow was worth over Rs300,000 and was a key part of our small livestock business,” said Rehman, who has demanded legal action and compensation.

He further stated in the application that the act falls under Section 429 of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1890, both of which consider such cruelty a punishable criminal offence.

While police have received the complaint, no formal action has been taken yet. They said the matter is under investigation and being examined from multiple angles.

Cow fell from height

Meanwhile, the accused, Chaudhry Qayyum, has denied the allegations.

Speaking to local media, he claimed that the cow accidentally fell from a 12-foot height after being startled by pet dogs and broke its legs.

He further claimed that the animal was then slaughtered by a butcher to prevent further suffering. “The accusations of cruelty are baseless and aimed at maligning me,” Qayyum stated.

Law to protect animal rights

It may be added here that the provincial assembly had passed the “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Animal Welfare Bill 2024” in October 2024 to protect animal rights, introducing penalties for harming animals.

Under the law, individuals who overload or cause harm to animals could face up to three months in prison or a fine of Rs50,000.

Male leopard found shot dead in AJK

In cases of repeated abuse or harm, the punishment increases to six months in prison and a fine of up to Rs100,000.

The bill also stipulates that owners who conceal any animal rights violations will face a fine of Rs10,000 or three months’ imprisonment.