During a major raid on donkey meat in Islamabad, the Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) salvaged 25 maunds (about 1,000 kg ) of donkey meat in the Tarnol region. They also arrested a foreign national suspected to be operating an illegal meat supply chain and over 50 live donkeys were confiscated during the operation.
The joint raid organized between IFA, Islamabad Police, and the district administration revealed that an illegal slaughterhouse was engaged in the preparation of donkey meat which was exported and might be provided to locals. The authorities ensured that the donkey meat recovered from Islamabad was destroyed on the spot under the supervision of the Deputy Director Dr. Tahira Siddique.
Preliminary investigation suggests the meat and hides were intended for international markets, particularly China, where donkey products are in demand for traditional medicine such as e-jiao. Officials are also tracing whether the donkey meat recovered from Islamabad had been supplied to local restaurants or markets.
The Islamabad Food Safety Act 2021 has registered a case against the concerned persons. A foreign man who is reported to have Chinese origin is said to be in the custody of the police after he was detained during the raid and other suspects who escaped during the raid are still being tracked.
This process highlights the growing interest in the black market of donkey meat in Pakistan, with the total population of donkeys in the whole country being estimated at 6.05 million in FY 2024-25. The government also has issued notice about more raids in illegal slaughter houses and asked residents to report about suspects in meat sales or animal cruelty to the law officers.
 salvaged 25 maunds (about 1,000 kg ) of donkey meat in the Tarnol region. They also arrested a foreign national suspected to be operating an illegal meat supply chain and over 50 live donkeys were confiscated during the operation.){kind=link}