Actor Tipu Sharif condemned the government’s policy of killing stray dogs and criticized public cruelty toward animals during a recent interview. Sharif questioned the societal logic behind animal culling, drawing a parallel to how human crimes are handled.
He asked why entire animal populations face elimination for individual incidents when human communities do not face collective punishment for horrific crimes like child abuse.
“Tell me this,if you can kill all dogs after one bites someone, then if a human rapes a little girl, will you punish all of humanity? Will you give that same punishment to all humans,” Sharif asked.
Sharif expressed concern over the lack of safety and empathy for street animals, noting that he witnessed people intentionally running cars over sleeping dogs and groups of boys throwing heavy stones at them.
During the discussion, the interviewer pointed out that stray dogs are routinely poisoned on the streets, to which Sharif responded, “KMC [Karachi Metropolitan Corporation] they come on a bike, throw poison, and leave and then they carry the dead bodies away the next morning.”
The interview triggered a wave of public reactions reflecting deeply divided opinions on animal welfare and public safety in Pakistan.
Many viewers supported Sharif, calling him a “Great man” and said “Innocent dogs face punishment while human criminals walk free.” Commenters pointed out that people frequently abuse and disturb sleeping animals without reason, arguing that if “Culling is the chosen solution for animal aggression, the same logic should apply to human offenders, given that men commit the majority of abuse and assault cases against women and children.”
Another agreed, stating, “Yes plz! Louder! This level of mental sickness and evilness can’t be treated plz get rid of them asap to protect other children.”
Several commenters expressed a desire for change, writing, “I wish i can build up a shelter house for street dogs and cats,” and “I hope people who are in govt should think that too.”
Another commended Sharif, commenting, “Thank God someone finally spoke about it, all other celebs are sitting quietly witnessing this mass dog culling. Kudos to him and shame on others for turning a blind eye to this cruelty.”
Conversely, some citizens defended state interventions due to public safety fears.
One woman detailed an incident where she, her two-year-old child, and her helper were attacked by dogs despite her habit of feeding them daily. She argued, “The general public cannot walk safely because packs of dogs chase people.”
