Authorities in Pakistan have received a go ahead to cull the remaining sick Australian sheep, that were part of a shipment that was not accepted by Bahrain.

A court in Pakistan had earlier given an order to Pakistan Livestock and Meat Company, the importer of sheep from Australia that were originally meant to be exported to Bahrain, for halting the culling of the animals. However, PK Livestock had reached an agreement with Sindh Livestock Department and the Federal Quarantine Department of Pakistan to ensure humane culling of the remaining sheep.

A shipment of about 21,000 sheep was sent to Pakistan on September 5 and about 700 sheep were culled in the previous month. The West Australian company, which exported the animals form Australia, has said that the remaining animals are being cared well.

The decision to cull the sheep was taken after sheep tested positive for salmonella bacteria, which can also infect human beings. The ship had arrived in port city of Karachi two weeks after the authorities in Bahrain did not allow the ship to unload sheep in the country due to health concerns.

A senior public official said that laboratory tests have shown that sheep are infected with salmonella and actinomyces, which could infect humans. The Ocean Drover had left Australia with 75,000 sheep over a month ago and has already unloaded 53,000 of them at two other ports until officials in Bahrain found that some of the sheep were infected with "orf" or scabby mouth disease.

The case has sparked an angry response in Australia and from animal activists from around the world.