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Healthy sheep were shipped to Pakistan: Australian HC
KARACHI: A shocked Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Peter Heyward, Tuesday said that the imported sheep, which have been sentenced to cull, were “edibly healthy” when they left Australia, Geo News reported.
In a statement issued here, he insisted that the Australian authorities left no sheep unexamined before shipping them and there were wholesome in all respects.
“Only after Pakistani authorities confirmed the sheep were in good health did the Australians issue a health certificate”, the commissioner said.
Australian diplomat also added that a bona fide veterinarian on board the cargo ship carrying the sheep kept tabs on the ovine herd throughout the voyage.
“No serious disease was reported by the ship vet”, said the high commissioner.
A concerned high commissioner went on to say the sheep even passed the Pakistani officials test on their arrival here.
“According to officials on Karachi port Australian Merino sheep met the Pakistani standard”, he said.
The ship offloaded same sheep in Muscat and Doha as well, he said adding the animals were not sent to Pakistan for veterinary treatment or a disease threat.
He said scabby mouth was a common ovine skin disease found in sheep all over the world.
“Scabby mouth was no threat to human health”, Aussie envoy said.
He said first of all these sheep were not suffering from hoof-and-mouth disease secondly evidence indicated such disease was nonexistent in Australia.
Courtesy www.geo.tv