Fact-check: Lahore has not banned tying sacrificial animals on streets ahead of Eid

Posts circulating online claim that authorities in Lahore have banned tying sacrificial animals in streets ahead of Eid ul Adha, with the government-run Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) enforcing the restriction.

The claim is false.

Claim

On May 18, a news report shared on TikTok claimed: "Tying sacrificial animals in the streets has been declared illegal in Lahore. The Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) force's unusual crackdown. Instead of addressing the city's actual issues, it is conducting raids against sacrificial animals." The clip has been viewed 2.6 million times.

Others questioned if the news is authentic.

Fact

Officials familiar with the matter confirmed that there is no ban on tying sacrificial animals in streets ahead of Eid ul Adha. Authorities clarified that only the illegal sale of animals outside designated cattle markets is prohibited.

Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari told Geo Fact Check over the phone that the district administration, as part of routine arrangements, is only restricting the establishment of unauthorised cattle sale points outside officially notified cattle markets.

"There is no restriction on individuals tying sacrificial animals [near their homes or in streets]," she said.

Bokhari also shared a copy of a complaint filed by a resident of Islampura against another local resident, alleging that buffaloes had been tied on a public street and that shop structures had encroached onto public space, causing obstruction and inconvenience to pedestrians.

According to the minister, the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) investigated the complaint and directed the violator to remove the animals from the public street after verifying the encroachment complaint.

However, officials clarified that this was an isolated enforcement action linked to a specific public obstruction complaint and not part of any city-wide ban on tying sacrificial animals.

Lahore Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ijaz also told Geo Fact Check over the phone that authorities have only prohibited the illegal sale of sacrificial animals outside designated cattle markets.

Verdict: Lahore authorities have not banned people from tying sacrificial animals in streets ahead of Eid ul Adha. Officials confirmed that only the illegal sale of animals outside designated cattle markets is prohibited, while enforcement actions are limited to specific cases involving public obstruction or encroachment.

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