Sindh govt to bear treatment costs of amputated camel, injured donkey

KARACHI: Following orders from Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Secretary of Livestock Kazim Jatoi visited the Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) animal shelter in Karachi on Monday to inquire about the wellbeing of the amputated camel and an injured donkey.

The visit came a day after a magistrate in Shahdadpur remanded six suspects into police custody for allegedly mutilating a camel by severing its right leg in Mund Jamrao village, Sanghar district.

In line with the chief minister’s directives, Secretary Jatoi also arranged for an injured donkey to be transported to Karachi. Both animals are now receiving treatment at the CDRS.

The Sindh government has pledged to cover the cost of their treatment, and the chief minister mentioned that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is securing a prosthetic leg for the camel from Dubai, Dawn.com reported.

Secretary Jatoi reported that the camel’s leg is healing, and the donkey’s leg will be x-rayed to determine the next steps in its treatment.

The incident occurred on Friday when a landlord allegedly severed the camel’s leg as punishment for foraging in his field. Sanghar police, responding to social media reports, contacted the camel’s owner, Soomar Behan, a poor peasant who refused to identify the culprit or press charges. Consequently, the police filed an FIR on behalf of the state against six unknown individuals under sections 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Also read: Amputated camel ‘Kemi’ finds new home in Karachi

During the suspects’ arrest on Saturday, they allegedly resisted and attacked the police. The six suspects—Rustam Shar, Abid Shar, Jaffar Jatt, Abdul Shakoor Shar, Gul Baig Lashari, and Darya Khan Shar—were apprehended near Sanghar. They were presented before duty magistrate Asif Sial on Sunday, who remanded them to police custody for four days for further investigation, despite the police requesting 14 days to locate the weapon used.

PPP Minister Shazia Marri and former Senator Quratulain Marri took stern notice of the incident. In a joint statement, they mentioned that veterinary doctors referred the animals to CDRS, emphasizing that rescuing the camel was a “joint effort.”

CDRS Benji Director Sarah Jahangir told Dawn.com that the camel, affectionately named Cammie by shelter staff, is stable but at risk of infection. “She’s stable but her leg is infected,” Jahangir said.