Early Monday morning, animal rescue team Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (ACF) was handed a donkey brutally beaten, wincing in pain and shaken by trauma.

The NGO took the donkey in and shared images on social media of the torture inflicted upon it. According to ACF’s post, PTI political supporters tortured the poor animal to prove a point to an opposing party.

“This is a hate crime. A donkey beaten to pulp, punched in the face and abdomen several times, nose broken, kicked all over his body until he collapsed, has rope marks and a car rammed into him….all of this to describe one political party as an “ass” by some hooligans as written on the poor donkey’s body,” wrote the team.

“We have blurred out the names on the donkey’s body as we will not involve ourselves in this mess. The rest is up to you all to decide.”

The donkey was in terrible condition when rescued, but the team immediately got cracking and treated its wounds and injuries. “The donkey has multiple wounds, all fresh from the beatings, punches and kicks he endured. The wound near his rear was an old abscess which burst probably when he collapsed. His nostrils have been ripped apart and his face was bleeding from all the wounds.”

“There are no signs of internal injury thus far. He is not eating much and his body is still stiff yet shaking in fear. His wounds have been cleaned and he has been given pain killers. He is drinking water on his own.”

People have taken to Twitter to express their outrage and grief at the incident.

“This animal was beaten because Imran Khan said anyone who supports nawaz sharif is a DONKEY. So one of his workers beat this poor donkey and posted the picture and wrote NAWAZ. Shame on him.”

In Pakistan, A Wretched Ass Assault

Non-figurative asses, at least, are suffering in Pakistani politics. When Imran Khan called supporters of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif ‘donkeys’, members of the former’s PTI took it literally. Two donkeys have been viciously mauled by PTI activists. They painted the name of a party, presumably Sharif’s PML(N), on one and nea­­rly beat it to death. An animal rescue group says the creature “was beaten to a pulp, … kicked all over…a car rammed into him.” As for the other, “His skull is visible, maggots have eaten all the flesh within it. His left eye is gouged out….”