LAHORE: The Pal(istan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the Shehri-CBE have filed an application in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against import of elephants and to become a necessary party in a pending case regarding import of two elephants from Namibia to Pakistan.

Earlier this year, the LHC was approached with a petition seeking import of elephants to the Lahore Zoo in the name of the right to leisure.

The PAWS and Shehri-CBE challenged the orders of the court directing the ministry of climate change to issue a no-objection report (NoC) allowing the Lahore Zoo to import two elephants from Namibia.

During the hearing on Monday, the court asked a law officer to find out about the status of the tender issued by the Lahore Zoo in 2017 for the import of one female elephant.

After an inquiry the law officer told the court that Namibia had turned down Pakistan`s request for the elephant import.

The court, therefore, asked for documents to that effect to be produced at next date of hearing and while giving parties notice of the application adjourned the matter till Dec 9.

In 2017, the Lahore Zoo hired a contractor to import an elephant from Namibia at a cost of Rs50 million after the death of its elephant, Suzi. Due to delays, a second elephant was to be imported with the cost borne by the contractor.

After the NoC was issued by the ministry of climate change, the Lahore Zoo cancelled the tender, citing delays and rampant corruption by exotic animal suppliers.

Director-General of the Punjab Wildlife Department Sohail Ashraf Goraya claims there is a monopoly of importers and so the tender was cancelled.

According to international media reports, the Pakistani government sent an application for ten elephants to the Namibian`s ministry of environment, which after reviewing the application, cancelled the export permit it had earlier issued.

As per the application by PAWS and Shehri-CBE, Pakistan keep five elephants, including Kaavan, a 33-year-old wild-caught Asian elephant in Islamabad zoo, gifted by Sri Lanka to General Ziaul Haq 30 years ago.

While Noor Jehan, Madhubala, Sonu and Malika are wild-caught baby African elephants from Tanzania, imported by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in 2009 for the Karachi Zoo and Karachi Safari Park.

It said Zimbabwe last month exported 30 wild-caught baby elephants to amusement parks and zoos in China.

Activists fear two of them may now be gifted to Pakistan.