The issue of donkey meat allegedly being served to the public has reached Pakistan’s Parliament House after it was raised during Question Hour in the National Assembly.
PPP lawmaker Shazia Sobia Soomro drew the attention of the House to reports claiming that people in Islamabad are being fed donkey meat. She asked which authority is responsible for monitoring the situation and taking action.
In response, Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain avoided addressing the allegation directly.
He said food safety authorities are responsible for checking and monitoring such issues, adding that the ministry has no direct role in food safety enforcement.
The minister further told the House that the issue is not limited to donkey meat alone, stating that in some cases citizens are also being sold meat from dead chickens and other dead animals.
Explaining the regulatory framework, he said that following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, food-related regulatory matters were transferred to the provinces.
He added that Punjab took the lead by establishing the country’s first food authority and noted that most issues related to donkey hides and meat fall under provincial jurisdiction.
Rana Tanveer Hussain also commented on the agriculture sector, saying that Punjab has introduced strong programs in this area, while other provinces have shown comparatively less seriousness.
