?In a move to protect animal rights in Pakistan, the government looks forward to introducing a special course on animal welfare which will be taught at schools in Pakistans capital, Islamabad,?Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs aide said on Saturday.
As per the initiative, the government has put a ban on testing and surgeries on live animals at veterinary schools and industrial complexes in the federal capital, besides announcing an Rs15,000 ($63.59) fine and jail term for animal cruelty offenders.?
Talking to the media, Salman Sufi, head of the prime ministers strategic reforms unit, stated that the PM has been pushing for strict animal welfare laws and reforms through the unit. He added the initiative to introduce the course was a step in that direction. ?
The [animal welfare] courses are scheduled to be rolled out in October, Sufi said, adding We are in the process of speaking to the government body that regulates private schools plus the government schools as well in the federal capital.?
?The main purpose is to make sure that children can learn what we were never taught, Sufi stated. That stray animal, pet animals, exotic animals, and any animal has rights and we have to take care of them. And we have to take care of them in the right way, not just by words but through proper actions.?
He added that the government will seek input from universal and local animal rights organizations in order to make the courses as comprehensive as possible. ?
Moreover, Sufi informed the media, that the courses are being formulated for students of grades five and above, stating that the intensity of the course will be enhanced for students of higher grades.
So, more information and more details will be added accordingly [as the class level increases], Sufi added. ?
The PMs aide noted the federal government is engaged with provincial governments to add the courses to their curriculum. After we start it in Islamabad, we will share the same courses and also write to them to make sure that they also do the same thing, he added. ?