Section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1890 makes cruelty to animals punishable for a first offense punishable with one month imprisonment, or 50 rupee fine, or with three months imprisonment, or 100 rupee fine for a subsequent offense which is committed within three years of the first one.

In 2001, bear baiting is also said to have been specifically prohibited possibly under an order of President Musharraf.

Additionally, section 429 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 makes it a criminal offense to kill, maim, or render useless any animal; the offense is punishable with five years imprisonment, or with fine, or with both.

These laws although defective and old, as both were enacted by the British during the colonial times, hardly have any deterrent value as the punishments are meager, and probably not a single person has ever been imprisoned under these laws in the entire Pakistan’s history.

Preamble to the Proposed Punjab Animal Welfare Act

Animals have an inalienable right to live in an environment free of abuse, that animals have a right to adequate nourishment and appropriate shelter, that the harmonious existence of all living things contributes to a healthy sense of respect for animals, and that the violation of these fundamental principles shall result in the degradation of the natural and moral fabric of society, the proposed Animal Welfare bill of Punjab, endeavors to promote the welfare of animals through the promotion of steps to protect the defenseless , to treat the injured, to house the homeless, and to comfort the abused.

The Act is committed to ensure the protection of animals as well as to foster a better understanding of the vital role played by animals in the daily lives of human beings.