Justice for the voiceless

How Altamush Saeed helped make legal history 

Last Monday, I met Altamush Saeed. He was one year my junior at LUMS, and since his graduation, he has been working for animals' rights. Altamush is one of those people who are not in it for fame, but are actually concerned and want to make a real difference. 

This was the first time I sat at the canteen at the High Court bench in Multan. I had always tried focusing on courtroom tasks and then not socializing a lot, fearing judgment because of my lack of mental compatibility with the majority. 

Altamush's presence made the Multan High Court bench seem like a place where reformers exist. I discussed some of the topics I wanted to take up as public interest litigation, and he shared some of his ideas with me. He had exactly the same thoughts I had on some of the human rights advocates in Pakistan who are in it only for credit seeking and validation. Performative activism, mostly. 

We spoke about the deeply rooted culture of cruelty towards animals that prevails in our society, the impunity with which state functionaries operate, and the empty promises of policymakers who draft progressive legislation and policies but never implement them. 

Altamush spoke with a passionate tone that comes from years of fighting and losing battles, yet he remained hopeful. He told me about the countless cases he had filed, the bureaucratic stonewalling he had experienced, and the personal challenges he had faced. But he also spoke about small victories. A rescued dog. A sensitized official. A judge who listened. That conversation stayed with me long after I left the canteen. 

A few months before our meeting, on April 28, Mr Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro of the Islamabad High Court wrote a landmark judgment that would send shockwaves through legal circles worldwide. The judgment, which disposed of the petition filed by Altamush, did something unprecedented in Pakistan's legal history. 

In a detailed and comprehensive ruling, the court permanently banned the poisoning, shooting, and indiscriminate killing of stray dogs across the capital. It directed authorities to implement a scientific Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release programme and to strictly follow the Stray Dog 

Population Control Policy for Islamabad Capital Territory. That policy had been formulated in 2020 but had remained largely unimplemented. The court observed that the policy's foundational requirements, such as scientific population surveys, a comprehensive regulatory framework, and transparent record keeping, had been systematically ignored by the authorities. 

The judgment was a scathing indictment of the state's arbitrary actions. Mr Justice Soomro noted that when confronted with photographic evidence showing dead dogs in a Capital Development Authority vehicle, the respondents were unable to furnish any cogent, lawful, or satisfactory explanation. This state of affairs, the court noted, raised serious concerns not only of administrative lapse but of a fundamental departure from the rule of law.

I felt hopeful that this country will not only survive but will prosper, guided by a justice that is compassionate and inclusive. Heroes like Altamush Saeed and judges like Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro are the reasons for that hope. They remind us that law is not merely a tool of power but a vehicle for humanizing our society. One judgment, one conversation, one rescued life at a time.

What made this judgment truly extraordinary was its philosophical depth. Mr Justice Soomro brought together constitutional jurisprudence, Islamic teachings, and modern understandings of animal sentience into a seamless whole. He quoted the Holy Quran: "There is no creature on the earth or bird that flies with its wings but that they are communities like you." The judgment further invoked the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), declaring that a good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being. 

Then came the words that would be quoted around the world. "Animals are not mere chattels or inanimate objects to be dealt with solely at human convenience," Justice Soomro wrote. "Rather, they are living, sentient beings, capable of pain, distress, comfort, and social response. The law, therefore, cannot remain indifferent to their existence." 

Moreover, this particular judgment establishes that compassion towards animals is not merely a matter of sentiment but a constitutional necessity and an ecological imperative. It declares that the true measure of a lawful society lies not in how it treats the powerful, but in how it safeguards those living beings that are wholly dependent on human conscience and institutional responsibility. 

The reach of this judgment has been profound. An article published by the South African organization Animal Voice has highlighted it as a landmark moment for global animal welfare. South Africa, with its progressive constitution that includes economic, social, and cultural rights, is often considered a leader in human rights protection. For a judgment from Pakistan to be celebrated there is a moment of immense pride. 

The article quotes British advocate Zannis Mavrogordato, who noted the court's recognition of the link between animal welfare and ecological balance, and its invocation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. South African veterinary surgeon Dr. Ayoub Banderker welcomed the judgment, stating that it was a most welcome step in implementing the true values of Islam pertaining to animal welfare. The fact that the UN has included animal welfare into the child rights framework will certainly carry significant influence in how nations adopt their animal welfare laws. 

This brings me back to Altamush Saeed. He is the lawyer who argued this historic case. He has multiple Masters degrees in Environmental, Animal, and Human Rights Law from the United States. Someone who could have easily lived in the USA with three advanced degrees chose to come back to Pakistan for real impact. His work has now been acknowledged in a far away country like South Africa, and he has been described as a leading light in legal protection for animals in Pakistan and an Interspecies Justice expert. 

His presence at the Multan High Court bench was a reminder that our country still has heroes. They are not the ones seeking the spotlight but are quietly, relentlessly building a better, more just legal framework for all living beings. Altamush is one of those rare individuals who understands that true justice cannot be selective. It must extend to all sentient creatures who share this planet with us. 

The judgment has given us a roadmap. It requires the constitution of an advisory committee, the formulation of standard operating procedures, the maintenance of transparent records, and the engagement of civil society. It mandates proper waste management, the regulation of feeding practices, and the availability of anti rabies vaccines in public hospitals. But implementation remains the challenge. 

As I sat in the High Court’s canteen in Multan, listening to Altamush speak about his vision for a more compassionate legal system, I realized that change comes from the people like him, those who refuse to accept the status quo. Those who believe that animals, by virtue of being alive, possess a natural claim to exist in an environment compatible with their needs. Those who understand that the injury we inflict upon animals ultimately reverberates through the human condition itself. 

I felt hopeful that this country will not only survive but will prosper, guided by a justice that is compassionate and inclusive. Heroes like Altamush Saeed and judges like Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro are the reasons for that hope. They remind us that law is not merely a tool of power but a vehicle for humanizing our society. One judgment, one conversation, one rescued life at a time.