The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been accused of continuing to illegally seize stray dogs from the streets of Islamabad’s G-10 sector, in direct violation of an Islamabad High Court (IHC) stay order issued earlier this year. The court had explicitly banned the capture of stray dogs until a comprehensive framework for their management was established, a framework which, to date, does not exist.
Despite the ban, recent video evidence shows CDA teams actively grabbing stray dogs from the streets of G-10 and taking them away. The footage has sparked outrage among animal welfare advocates, who say the CDA is exploiting the current court recess to operate with impunity.
One activist who chose to stay anonymous said:
The stay order is still in place, yet the CDA is openly violating it. Since the courts are closed, they are taking advantage of the situation.”
We reached out to CDA for an official comment on the matter, to which they responded by sending pictures of healthy dogs being taken care of at CDA with food and love. They also added that “you are welcome to come and adopt these dogs.”
From the looks of it, it seems these pictures are kept purely for PR purposes to showcase how well the conditions are at CDA’s facility. On the other hand, we at ProPakistani have previously shared images of dogs in poor conditions at other CDA facilities.
Adding to the controversy, multiple sources connected to CDA operations have confirmed to ProPakistani that stray dogs in CDA custody are being subjected to abuse. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cited fear of professional retaliation but said they had personally witnessed mistreatment.
These claims are backed by additional video evidence allegedly showing dogs being abused inside CDA facilities.
Earlier this year, the Islamabad High Court, responding to public petitions and expert testimony on humane animal control, ordered a complete halt to the seizure and killing of stray dogs in the capital. The court ruled that no such action could be taken until a structured, humane framework was drafted and implemented, one that would ensure vaccination, sterilization, and rehabilitation rather than capture and killing.
However, with no such framework in place, critics say CDA’s current operations are illegal and undermine the authority of the judiciary.
Animal rights groups are now calling on the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court to take immediate notice of the violations once the courts resume. They are also urging federal authorities to intervene to prevent further harm to stray animals and to hold CDA officials accountable.