[guardian.co.uk](http://www.guardian.co.uk/), Tuesday 28 July 2009 15.39 BST
- [Article history](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/28/siberia-tiger-pakistan-sharif#history-byline)
Sufficiently chilly: a captive Siberian tiger in a cold climate.
When a Siberian tiger landed in the Pakistani city of Lahore last week, at the height of a sweltering summer, some worried that the blistering temperatures might prove too much for the rare animal.
But in the end the heat proved too much for its owners, the politically dominant Sharif family, who, after a round of lacerating media criticism, have offered to give the hapless tiger up.
The animal was flown in from Canada by Suleiman Sharif, a nephew of the opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, who is known as the “Lion of Punjab”. The Pakistani government banned the import of big cats last February.
However, Sharif junior has got powerful connections: his father, Shahbaz, is chief minister of Punjab. So when the tiger landed at Lahore airport, it was welcomed by the chief minister’s private secretary, who whisked it through customs.
According to press reports, Suleiman planned to house the tiger in a chilled enclosure at the family’s private zoo on the Raiwind estate, on the outskirts of the city. A second tiger had been ordered from Canada.
The matter, when it hit the newspapers, prompted outrage, not so much because it highlighted the powerful dodging the law, which is nothing unusual in Pakistan, but due to the insensitivity of building a refrigerated room at a time when most Pakistanis are labouring under extensive electricity outages in roasting weather.
“It is hard to see the inhabitants of Siberia faring well in the heat and humidity of Lahore,” noted an acerbic editorial in The News, which demanded an official investigation. Its competitor, Dawn, queried: “Wouldn’t millions of Pakistanis … be outraged?”
And so the tiger had to go. Today, the World Wildlife Fund office said the Sharif family had offered to donate the politically problematic animal to charity. “They contacted our office to say they are ready to hand over the animal. It’s in their interest to give it up,” said the charity’s director for Pakistan, Ali Hassan Habib. “And so it should be. We want to use this opportunity to educate them.”
Habib said he would try to place the tiger with a suitable zoo in Lahore, otherwise the animal would be sent abroad. He said the affair raised questions about why the Canadian exporter agreed to deal with a private individual instead of a zoo.
Suleiman Sharif has not publicly commented. His uncle Nawaz, the most popular politician in Pakistan, according to polls, is in London, where his wife is receiving medical treatment.
A Sharif spokesman in Lahore said it was “entirely incorrect” that a chilled cage had been built, and added: “There is no tiger at the Raiwind farmhouse, I can guarantee you that.”
Re: Mubarik, Salman S Shareef imported Siberian Tiger from canada
Zardari's imported watch cost ALOT more than this tiger Mr. Pasha, what do you have to say about that? Which steel milll does Zardari own again? Where did he get all that money?
Re: Mubarik, Salman S Shareef imported Siberian Tiger from canada
Anwar Pasha, i have asked from you in the last post on the same topic, that you is bearing the expenses of this tiger? govt or Shareefs. i guess as usual you have no answer to this!!!
Anwar Pasha, i have asked from you in the last post on the same topic, that you is bearing the expenses of this tiger? govt or Shareefs. i guess as usual you have no answer to this!!!
Was import of big cats according to law? Our people are dying to get some air from fan due to lack of electricity and this cat needed a 'freezer' room, probably cats are more valuable to some people than their fellow countrymen.
As much as I am against keeping such animals in custody, what is unlawful about importing stuff? I mean rich wealthy people can import whatever they like, provided they pay the import duty, which in Pakistan's case is a total whopper! The Govt makes ALOT of money off the duty.
[quote]
Our people are dying to get some air from fan due to lack of electricity and this cat needed a 'freezer' room, probably cats are more valuable to some people than their fellow countrymen.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah but every single wealthy person ney theka tu nahee liya hua poorey mulq ka. I can understand when people criticize that bigass fountain they built in Karachi (which never worked, and got stolen) because it was a waste of electricity that the city lacks in the first place BECAUSE it was built by the Govt on public funds.
Was import of big cats according to law? Our people are dying to get some air from fan due to lack of electricity and this cat needed a 'freezer' room, probably cats are more valuable to some people than their fellow countrymen.
Since when it is unlawful? ( provided all the duties and other lawful obligations have met)
People die with hunger because there is lack of economic activities and not because somebody is importing big cats!!! It is govts to be blamed for their lousy economic policies which are not delivering...
As long as this Big Cat is fed on the expense of Shareefs no problem should be there...
That was legal ground
On the moral ground, it is bad to cage such animal, it need to be freed as soon as possible, Shareefs could have donated this money! but again no one in can say that they are not or have not done anything for the poor and/or common people of Pakistan...
Just in News that the Tiger has been donated to the NWFP govt and will be freed in the mountainous region of the province. That is a good gesture..
Since when it is unlawful? ( provided all the duties and other lawful obligations have met)
Since when? I am not law expert, but I'll cite the para from the article posted:
[QUOTE]
The animal was flown in from Canada by Suleiman Sharif, a nephew of the opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, who is known as the "Lion of Punjab". The Pakistani government banned the import of big cats last February.
[/QUOTE]
People die with hunger because there is lack of economic activities and not because somebody is importing big cats!!! It is govts to be blamed for their lousy economic policies which are not delivering...
People die because of heat too, hunger is not the only cause... besides do people really have to die to show pain and suffering? Also, you are blaming "govt" for lousy policies, you are right... this incident is also one of the lousy examples... they banned the import, but for the "higher-ups" the ban was mocked.
Since when? I am not law expert, but I'll cite the para from the article posted:
People die because of heat too, hunger is not the only cause... besides do people really have to die to show pain and suffering? Also, you are blaming "govt" for lousy policies, you are right... this incident is also one of the lousy examples... they banned the import, but for the "higher-ups" the ban was mocked.
well yes, i still stand my ground, as i said earlier, there is nothing wrong in having these big cats as long as it is through lawfull means, if done unlawfully it should be condemned, and rightly the Shareefs donated the tiger to the NWFP govt, but u r right, it should have not be done in first place ( if it was illegal)
Heat and economic activities are some what inter-related, the same people work under blazing heat of Gulf countries and yet they survive, because there they work for there money ( although the money they get is not enough).
anyway i have already said that on moral grounds this shouldn't have happend...
Re: Mubarik, Salman S Shareef imported Siberian Tiger from canada
They should import this really mota taaza king kong from London (originally fled from the KArachi zoo after being neutred) and put him up for the lucky irani circus!
They should import this really mota taaza king kong from London (originally fled from the KArachi zoo after being neutred) and put him up for the lucky irani circus!
Zardari's govt have imposed ban on importing such animals to Pakistan...
Zardari's imported watch cost ALOT more than this tiger Mr. Pasha, what do you have to say about that? Which steel milll does Zardari own again? Where did he get all that money?
from where Zardari came in this discussion! and the watch post was fake one.. i can bet on that.. please provide clues
Re: Mubarik, Salman S Shareef imported Siberian Tiger from canada
Mr. Pasha are u a member of HAQOoQI HEWANYAT? its his money let him spent it the way he wants.he can bought him self a donkey or tiger or mouse whatever.it is non of our business.