NA body shows concern over sale of donkey meat

National Assembly Standing Committee on Food Security expressed its serious concerns over the sale of donkey meat in different parts of the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.

During a meeting of the Committee, Chairman Syed Ayaz Shirazi termed this issue as ‘most serious’ and said that it is not the issue of Islamabad, instead it's an issue of the whole of Pakistan.

The Chairman of the Committee said that “we go to hotels for lunch and the sale of donkey meat is a serious issue.”

 He further said that we have to ensure that this meat is not leaked from factories that the government granted permission to export meat.

During the meeting, Secretary Food Security said that “we issued licenses for export of meat, but this issue belonged to the local or district administration.

Earlier on July 28, 2025, in a major crackdown on illegal meat trade, the Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) seized about 1,000kg donkey meat from a farmhouse located in Tarnol.

Over 50 live donkeys were also confiscated during a raid on the premises and a foreign national was taken into custody on the spot.

According to a spokesperson for the Islamabad district administration, an FIR has been registered against the foreign national following the recovery.

Authorities believe the meat was being prepared for supply to foreign restaurants and individuals.

“We are investigating where the donkey meat was being delivered. Local accomplices involved in the supply chain are also being traced. The case is being pursued from multiple angles,” the spokesperson said.

Reporter: Waqas Azeem