Govt lifts restriction on exports of donkey hides

ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has lifted the ban on the export of donkey skins and implemented a new policy.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, the skins can only be exported from the Gwadar Free Zone. Permission will be given only to registered and approved slaughterhouses.

Under the notification, the ECC’s 2015 decision has been removed. The Ministry of Commerce has issued a notification amending the Export Policy Order 2022.

The ECC had banned the export of donkey skins on September 3, 2015. According to officials, there are export protocols with China for both donkey meat and skins.

Under these protocols, strict government supervision will be carried out, only donkeys from approved breeding farms will be used, and all operations will be closely regulated.

The Ministry of National Food Security will look after the disposal of donkey meat and skins.

According to officials, the federal government had banned the export of donkey hides in 2015, citing a surge in exports of donkey hides and reports of illegal, cruel slaughter practices and the illegal sale of donkey meat as beef in local markets.

The Agriculture Census released in June this year showed that the number of donkeys in Pakistan has further increased.

Punjab has the highest number of donkeys (2.403 million) among all provinces, followed by Sindh (1.081 million), then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (782,000), while Balochistan has the lowest (630,000). Islamabad recorded 4,000 donkeys.