Scope

Covers all major animal exploitation industries operating at meaningful scale in Pakistan: cattle and buffalo (dairy, beef, and draught), sheep and goats (meat and small ruminant systems), camels (transport, meat, and dairy), working equids (donkeys, horses, mules), poultry (broilers, layers, and breeders), leather and hides processing, aquaculture, and marine and inland capture fisheries. Livestock contributes a substantial share of agricultural GDP and engages over eight million rural households. Excluded: subsistence-level backyard animal keeping not captured in national statistics; non-commercial companion animals; purely conservation-focused wildlife; and informal animal use without quantitative or institutional data.

System Overview

Pakistan is one of the world’s largest producers of milk by volume, with FAO-derived data recording approximately 23.9 million tonnes of cow milk and 38.6 million tonnes of buffalo milk in 2023 — a combined total exceeding 62 million tonnes. National meat production is reported at approximately six million tonnes annually, with export earnings of approximately USD 512 million in 2023 from processed beef and mutton and meat preparations. National livestock populations for 2023–24 include 57.5 million cattle, 46.3 million buffalo, 32.7 million sheep, 87 million goats, 1.2 million camels, 5.9 million asses, 0.4 million horses, and 0.2 million mules (Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25). Pakistan functions primarily as a domestic producer and consumer of meat and dairy, with significant export roles in processed meat and leather, and imports feed grains and some specialised animal products.

Key Systems

Dairy and mixed livestock — cattle and buffalo. Dairy production is dominated by smallholder and mixed crop-livestock systems, with millions of rural households keeping cattle and buffalo for milk and draught power. Peri-urban cattle colonies — including Landhi colony in Karachi, housing approximately 350,000 animals, and approximately 1.4 million head across Sindh colony systems — function as high-density milk production and distribution hubs supplying major cities. Production models range from extensive rural smallholder to semi-intensive peri-urban, with milk channelled through informal collectors and formal processing dairies.

Small ruminants — sheep and goats. Sheep (32.7 million) and goats (87 million) are kept in extensive and pastoral systems in arid and semi-arid regions, supplying mutton and chevon for domestic markets and religious festival slaughter. Production is predominantly extensive, with mixed grazing and seasonal migration; animals are sold into urban slaughter and meat markets.

Poultry — broilers, layers, and breeders. Poultry production is intensive and vertically integrated, with commercial broiler and layer farms, hatcheries, and feed mills forming an industrial supply chain. Broilers supply the majority of domestic poultry meat; commercial layers and layer parents supply table eggs and hatching eggs for domestic markets and some exports. Sector revenue reached approximately PKR 125.8 billion in FY2023.

Beef and buffalo meat. Beef is derived from culled dairy animals, male calves raised for meat, and some specialised commercial fattening units; buffalo meat comes mainly from older dairy buffalo. Production is mixed, combining extensive smallholder fattening and more intensive commercial units near urban centres and export-oriented abattoirs.

Working animals — camels, donkeys, horses, and mules. Asses (5.9 million), horses (0.4 million), mules (0.2 million), and camels (1.2 million) are used for transport, agricultural labour, and haulage in extensive and smallholder systems across rural and peri-urban economies. Camels also supply milk and meat in regional markets, particularly in arid zones.

Leather and hides. Hides and skins from cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats are channelled to tannery clusters — principally Karachi and Kasur — using industrial tanning processes for export-oriented leather and leather goods. The sector is industrial and capital-intensive at the tannery level, fed by dispersed livestock and slaughter systems, and is linked to global supply chains serving international brands.

Aquaculture and capture fisheries. Inland aquaculture — primarily pond-based carp and tilapia culture — and coastal shrimp farming supply domestic consumption. Marine capture fisheries use artisanal and industrial fleets. Fish production is projected to grow from approximately 162,000 tonnes in 2021 to approximately 178,000 tonnes by 2026.

Scale & Intensity

Pakistan’s combined cow and buffalo milk production exceeded 62 million tonnes in 2023, placing it among the world’s largest milk producers by volume (FAO-derived data via CLAL). Cattle populations reached 57.5 million and buffalo 46.3 million in 2023–24, with recent economic surveys recording year-on-year increases in major species. Sheep and goat populations reached 32.7 million and 87 million respectively; camel population reached 1.2 million. The livestock sector grew approximately 3.9% in 2023–24 (Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25). Total meat production is reported at approximately six million tonnes annually; processed meat and mutton exports reached approximately USD 512 million in 2023.

Poultry sector revenue reached PKR 125.8 billion in FY2023, up from PKR 93.7 billion in FY2022 — a 34.3% increase — reflecting higher prices and industrial capacity expansion (PACRA Research, September 2024). Official disaggregated broiler slaughter figures are not consistently published; industry sources report national commercial broiler production in the billions of birds annually. Fish production is projected at approximately 178,000 tonnes by 2026, growing at approximately 1.4% annually. Leather exports contracted from approximately USD 116.7 million in 2022 to approximately USD 74.8 million in 2024.

Infrastructure & Supply Chains

Slaughter and meat processing infrastructure comprises municipal slaughterhouses, private abattoirs, and export-oriented halal-certified plants. Government and trade sources document outdated infrastructure in many facilities, with the 2025 halal meat export strategy identifying slaughterhouse modernisation, expanded cold storage, and improved processing as necessary to meet international certification criteria (Halal Focus, 2025). The Pakistan Halal Authority oversees halal standards for meat exports, including facility certification requirements. Landhi cattle colony in Karachi, housing approximately 350,000 animals, and the broader Sindh cattle colony system of approximately 1.4 million head constitute major peri-urban supply infrastructure for urban milk markets. Leather supply chains are structured around tannery clusters in Karachi and Kasur, where hides from dispersed slaughter points are processed in industrial facilities linked to European and North American brand supply chains (Together for Decent Leather, 2023). Cold chain and refrigerated transport infrastructure for meat and dairy are identified in policy documents as structural chokepoints limiting export growth. Aquaculture relies on pond farms, coastal shrimp facilities, and artisanal and industrial marine fishing fleets.

Regulation & Enforcement

Animal exploitation in Pakistan is governed primarily by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1890, which defines offences including beating, overdriving, and neglect, with specified penalties. The Act is the core federal welfare statute; civil society sources and advocacy organisations describe it as outdated and note the absence of a comprehensive modern animal welfare framework. Ancillary provisions affecting animals appear in the Pakistan Penal Code and in sectoral regulations addressing slaughterhouse hygiene, food safety, and disease control; these are oriented primarily toward public and animal health rather than welfare. The Pakistan Halal Authority regulates animal slaughter and processing for halal certification in the export context, including facility standards and certification requirements. Provincial bylaws and municipal slaughterhouse regulations operate alongside federal law but are not comprehensively captured in the sources consulted. In practice, research on tannery labour and conditions indicates limited enforcement of occupational safety and labour rights standards in leather-processing workplaces despite existing general labour and factory regulations. Draft welfare legislation more recent than the 1890 Act has been proposed but is not confirmed as enacted in the sources consulted.

Public Funding & Subsidies

Pakistan’s agricultural sector, including livestock, receives concessional credit, veterinary and disease-control services, and public investment in infrastructure such as slaughterhouses and dairy collection networks. The Agriculture and Livestock Economic Survey 2024–25 identifies livestock as a resilient growth driver within agriculture and records sectoral credit disbursement at hundreds of billions of rupees. Policy discussions on agricultural taxation note that the sector contributes a disproportionately low share of tax revenue relative to its economic weight, implying implicit subsidies through under-taxation and preferential treatment. The 2025 halal meat export strategy references planned public investments in cold storage upgrades, disease-control programmes, and slaughterhouse modernisation; detailed budget allocations are not specified in available public summaries. Disaggregated subsidy figures by livestock species or production system are not consistently reported in accessible sources.

Labour Conditions

A 2023 report by Together for Decent Leather and Karachi-based NGO NOW Communities, based on over 150 worker interviews, documents working conditions in Pakistan’s leather industry: most tannery workers are men from low-income households without permanent contracts or employment documentation; a significant share lack registration in social security schemes; adolescent and child labour are present in tanneries and leather manufacturing workplaces. Conditions identified include low basic wages, poorly compensated overtime, limited provision of transport or health benefits, exposure to chemicals, absence of running water in workers’ communities, and no systematic medical check-ups or employer-provided health coverage. In intensive poultry and industrial meat processing, sector reports emphasise economic performance but provide limited publicly available quantitative data on injury rates, workforce demographics, or union density. Available evidence indicates widespread precarious employment in export-oriented leather and related sectors with limited effective enforcement of existing labour protections.

Environmental Impact

A World Bank-supported study of Sindh’s livestock sector reports that Pakistan’s total greenhouse gas emissions represent approximately 0.7% of global emissions, with livestock accounting for approximately 36% of national emissions — a figure derived from a provincial analysis and media summarisation rather than a fully disaggregated national GHG inventory and should be treated as indicative. Cattle colonies, including Landhi in Karachi with approximately 350,000 animals, have a documented high local environmental impact through concentrated manure, effluent discharge, and reliance on imported feed. Expanding cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goat populations imply growing land-use demands for fodder and grazing as well as increased enteric methane and manure-related emissions. Fisheries and aquaculture contribute additional environmental pressures through water use and potential effluent discharge, though national assessments do not classify the sector as a major emissions source compared with livestock.

Investigations & Exposure

A 2023 report by Together for Decent Leather and NOW Communities documented precarious employment, low wages, weak social security coverage, and child labour in Pakistan’s tanneries supplying international leather brands. The report is based on over 150 worker interviews and constitutes the most detailed documented investigation of working conditions in the animal-product processing sector available from the sources consulted.

A World Bank-supported study reported in 2022 (Dawn, 2022) documented structural characteristics of Sindh’s livestock sector, including cattle colony emissions and waste-management challenges, and provided detailed analysis of cattle colony environmental impacts and high GHG contribution.

Government communications and Halal Focus reporting from 2025 document Pakistan’s halal meat export strategy, including acknowledgment of outdated slaughter infrastructure and disease-control gaps as constraints on export expansion — representing the most recent official disclosure of infrastructure inadequacy in the sector.

Industry Dynamics

Livestock sector growth of approximately 3.9% in 2023–24, with increasing cattle and buffalo populations, indicates continued expansion, with policy emphasis on livestock as a stabilising component of agriculture. The 2025 halal meat export strategy signals a government push to expand meat export value beyond USD 512 million through regulatory reforms, slaughterhouse modernisation, and disease-control investment. Poultry sector revenue grew 34.3% in FY2023, with ongoing intensification and consolidation around vertically integrated commercial operators. Leather exports entered a contraction phase, falling from USD 116.7 million in 2022 to USD 74.8 million in 2024, with the sector facing market pressures, environmental compliance demands from international buyers, and potential global sourcing shifts. Aquaculture is expanding gradually at approximately 1.4% annually, remaining a secondary sector relative to terrestrial livestock. Infrastructure constraints — particularly cold chain, slaughterhouse modernisation, and traceability systems — are identified across government and trade sources as the primary structural barriers to export growth in meat.

Within The System

Developments

Report a development: contact@systemicexploitation.org

Editorial Correction Notice

Scale and intensity — poultry statistics: Broiler flock sizes and slaughter numbers rely heavily on industry association sources and social media posts from Pakistan Poultry Rates and related pages, which are not independently audited. Official disaggregated national slaughter figures are not publicly accessible. PACRA Research (September 2024) is the most credible commercial source used; FAO FishStatJ or Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data would be required for authoritative poultry figures.

Scale and intensity — meat production: The six million tonnes annual meat production figure is reported in policy and trade articles in the context of halal export discussions and may aggregate multiple product categories across species. Species-level breakdowns are not consistently provided in accessible sources.

Scale and intensity — GHG estimate: The figure attributing approximately 36% of national GHG emissions to livestock derives from a World Bank-associated provincial study of Sindh and subsequent media summarisation, not a fully disaggregated national GHG inventory. Pakistan’s national GHG inventory submissions to UNFCCC would be required to verify this figure at national scale.

Regulation and enforcement: Descriptions focus on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1890 and halal export policy. Provincial bylaws, municipal slaughterhouse regulations, and any more recent draft welfare legislation may not be comprehensively captured in the sources consulted. Direct review of provincial legislative databases would be required for complete regulatory coverage.

Labour conditions: Detailed evidence on labour conditions comes primarily from the Together for Decent Leather (2023) tannery study, which covers the leather sub-sector only. Quantitative occupational injury rates, union density, and workforce demographic breakdowns for slaughterhouses and intensive poultry and livestock farms are not available from the sources consulted.

Primary animals — aquatic species: Prawns, Carp, and Tilapia are assigned based on documented aquaculture production at structural scale. Prawns covers warm-water coastal shrimp farming. Carp and Tilapia are the primary inland pond aquaculture species. Per the universal linking convention, relationship fields are populated regardless of whether target CPT records currently exist; shell records are created on demand.

Primary practices — Fleece Harvesting: Pakistan has 32.7 million sheep. The research does not document wool production as a commercial output — the sheep system is described exclusively in terms of mutton supply. Pakistan is historically a significant wool producer, but wool production figures and a documented commercial Fleece Harvesting system are absent from the sources consulted. Fleece Harvesting has not been assigned. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics agricultural commodity data would be required to assess whether this practice meets the structural threshold.

Key industries — Other Fibres: Pakistan has approximately 87 million goats. The research does not document goat fibre (cashmere, mohair) as a commercial output — the goat system is described exclusively in terms of meat supply (chevon). Other Fibres has not been assigned. Pakistan Economic Survey or FAO commodity data covering goat fibre production would be required to confirm whether purposeful fibre breed management operates at meaningful commercial scale.

Key industries — Wool: Not assigned. The sheep system is documented for meat production only in the sources consulted. Pakistan Economic Survey wool production data would be required before Wool can be assigned.

Primary Animals: Records for Donkeys and mules need to be created to link this record to.