Border Without Mercy: Indian Border Force kill 8 goats in Pakistan’s Desert District Tharparkar
By Nasir Aijaz
The AsiaN Representative
ISLAMABAD: In the vast, wind-swept desert of Tharparkar, a district of Sindh province of Pakistan, where the golden dunes stretch endlessly between Pakistan and India, a tragedy unfolded that has once again exposed the fragility of life along one of the world’s most militarized frontiers. According to local media reports, personnel of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire on a herd of goats that had wandered near the international border, killing eight animals on the spot and injuring several others.
The incident took place near village Sanwnani in the early hours of a quiet morning on Saturday October 5, 2025 when local herders from the Pakistani side were grazing their livestock as they have done for generations. These communities depend entirely on their animals for survival — for milk, trade, and sometimes as the only source of income during prolonged droughts. The border in Tharparkar, though fenced and patrolled, often cuts across traditional grazing paths that predate both nations.
Eyewitnesses said that the goats had not crossed into Indian Territory; they were merely grazing near the zero line when the BSF soldiers opened fire without warning. “There was no provocation, no threat,” said one herder, describing the shooting as an act of sheer brutality. “We live with little to begin with — now they have taken away our livelihood too.”
The villagers said that after opening fires, the BSF personnel used iron bars to beat and injure the goats.
Chief Minister of Sindh province Syed Murad Ali Shah condemned the firing, calling it a violation of international norms and a display of inhumanity against defenseless animals. Pakistani border authorities are said to have raised the issue through official channels, demanding an explanation from their Indian counterparts.
Meanwhile, on the orders of Chief Minister, the veterinary staff rushed to the site to provide treatment to the wounded animals.
Animal rights activists have also expressed outrage, noting that this is not the first time livestock have become victims of cross-border aggression. They argue that the act reflects a disturbing lack of restraint and empathy. “Whether it is a camel’s leg being cut off in Sindh or goats being shot at the border, the pattern of cruelty towards animals must stop,” said one activist. “These are sentient beings, not symbols of hostility.”
Beyond the immediate horror, the incident highlights the precarious lives of desert communities caught between drought, poverty, and militarization. The Thar Desert region’s residents share cultural, linguistic, and familial ties that transcend the border, yet politics and fences have divided their land and limited their ancient routes.
For the herders of Tharparkar, each animal lost is more than just property – it is food, income, and emotional companionship. In a land where survival depends on every drop of water and every blade of grass, the killing of livestock is a wound that cuts deep.
This act by the BSF stands as a grim reminder that cruelty at the borders does not always claim human lives alone. Sometimes, it is the voiceless who pay the price for the anger of nations.
