LAHORE - Dr Atia Masood, an assistant professor at Punjab University, filed on Monday a civil miscellaneous application in the Lahore High Court seeking early hearing of a petition accusing a veterinary doctor of killing her pet cat.
The petitioner lady through her counsel submitted that on May 13, the court had sought directions from the station house officer of Nawab Town police station but thereafter her petition was not taken up for hearing.
In her main petition, the petitioner said that she took her cat to Dr Awais Anees and paid him Rs 6,000 per visit whenever it fell sick. She said her cat fell ill on January 18, 2015 and she took it to Dr. Anees who demanded Rs 25,000 against its treatment. The petitioner paid Rs 10,000 and requested him to treat the sick cat and requested him not to demand more. Over it, Dr. Anees became furious and he administered five injections and a drip to the cat which caused its death, she alleged. She further alleged that Dr. Anees, afterwards, ran away from the scene.
Arguing before the court, Advocate Abdul Rasheed Qureshi said that Dr. Anees intentionally killed the cat.  He told the judge that his client approached Nawab Town police station to lodge FIR against the doctor but the SHO refused her. The counsel said the she approached the court of justice of peace but he also dismissed her petition holding that it was not maintainable.
The petitioner’s counsel further said that the doctor was duty bound to give proper treatment to his patients. “If he fails to provide the proper treatment, his licence should be cancelled. Action should be taken against incompetent and careless doctors,” the counsel said.
He prayed to the court to dismiss the order of the justice of peace and direct the police to register the FIR against the doctor under Section 429 of Pakistan Penal Code. A person can be imprisoned for five years under section 429 of PPC for deliberately killing an animal. Justice James Joseph will hear the application on Tuesday (today).