The Punjab provincial government in Pakistan, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has introduced a daily “gobar tax” (cow dung tax) of PKR 30 per cow or buffalo. The levy has triggered a wave of memes, jokes, and ridicule on social media, with netizens on both sides of the border having a field day at Lahore’s expense.The tax applies to 168 designated cattle colonies across Punjab, including key areas in Lahore such as Harbanspura and Gujjarpura. Officials have framed it as a service fee under the “Suthra Punjab” (Clean Punjab) initiative, claiming the collected manure will be used to generate clean energy.However, Pakistanis are sceptical. Social media erupted with criticism, with one post highlighting that a person with 10 cattle would pay over PKR 11,000 (around Rs 4,000) annually. Others joked about the government soon taxing human waste and suggested applying the tax to politicians’ “gobar-filled brains”.Actress and comedian Mishi Khan joined the pile-on, calling the move laughable given the economic pressures ordinary Pakistanis face daily. Satirical suggestions flooded timelines, including one that proposed applying the tax to politicians’ “gobar-filled brains” and another that recommended staging protests by herding buffaloes past government offices, with a per-dung deposit charged at the gate.The mockery has a serious edge, as the fee could burden small dairy farmers and livestock owners, exacerbating economic pressures. Opposition voices have called it a revenue grab disguised as an environmental initiative.