A donkey was found 'beaten to a pulp' after being tortured for a political stunt that compared one party to an 'ass' in Pakistan.

The seriously injured animal was found and handed over to the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation (AFC) ahead of the country's general elections on July 25.

The rescue centre took to social media on Monday to share pictures of the injured donkey and slam the perpetrators of the attack.

According to the ACF, the donkey had been beaten, punched in the face and abdomen repeatedly, kicked all over and rammed with a car.

A donkey was found 'beaten to a pulp' after being tortured for a political stunt in Pakistan

The horrific abuse – which the centre branded a hate crime – was all 'to describe one political party as an 'ass' by some hooligans as written on the poor donkey's body.'

The rescue centre said it had blurred out the names written on the donkey's body.

'With the upcoming elections looming upon us, no one is spared from the wrath of this time… not even the most helpless of animals,' the centre wrote on Facebook alongside pictures of the animal's injuries.

'This is a hate crime. A donkey beaten to a pulp, punched in the face and abdomen several times, nose broken, kicked all over his body until he collapsed, has rope marks and a car rammed into him… all of this to describe one political party as an 'ass' by some hooligans as written on the poor donkey's body.

The horrific abuse was all 'to describe one political party as an 'ass' by some hooligans as written on the poor donkey's body,' the rescue centre said

'With the upcoming elections looming upon us, no one is spared from the wrath of this time… not even the most helpless of animals,' the centre wrote on Facebook

The rescue centre took to social media on Monday to share pictures of the injured donkey and slam the perpetrators of the attack

'We have blurred out the names on the donkey's body as we will not involve ourselves in this mess. The rest is up to you all to decide.'

It added: 'Is this what our country has come to? Or is this what it's always been? And social media and a little bit of animal welfare has now highlighted what we always were and are. Monsters.

'If this is our general public that can abuse an innocent animal for fun and ridiculous, irrational reasons, because he's a 'Ghadha' then nothing else matters anyway.

'We should all be ashamed of ourselves. This is what we are.'

The centre said the donkey had been found by a man called Abdullah 'trembling, with shallow breathing and pain painted all over his face.'

The centre said the animal wasn't eating much and its body was still 'stiff yet shaking in fear'

According to the ACF, the donkey had been beaten, punched in the face and abdomen repeatedly, kicked all over and rammed with a car

Abdullah and Adeel, from Innocent Pet Shelter stayed with the animal until ACF's workers showed up to take the donkey.

The centre said the animal wasn't eating much and its body was still 'stiff yet shaking in fear.'

It added that he 'winces at any touch because he thinks each one will hurt.'

In an update on Tuesday, the ACF revealed they had named the donkey Hero as 'it takes a true hero of the heart to stand quietly, collapse helplessly, and endure painfully as this donkey did.'

Along with a video showing the recovering animal eating, the rescue centre said Hero is in a critical condition and remains under constant observation.

In an update on Tuesday, the ACF revealed they had named the injured donkey Hero