Illegal markets, price hike: City administrations’ claim fall flat

Unauthorised cattle markets create traffic jams; exorbitant prices keep common man at bay

ISLAMABAD/ RAWALPINDI: Cattle vendors and butchers see Eidul Azha as an opportunity to fleece the citizens by charging exorbitant prices for sacrificial animals and their slaughter.

Tall claims by the civic authorities and administrations of the twin cities fall flat in the face of the cattle traders as they not only violate the ban on setting up of illegal markets but also charge exorbitant prices for the sacrificial animals.

“Simply expect a price of Rs50,000 up to Rs100,000  if the animal is a beautiful one,” a dealer at the Tarlai cattle market located adjacent to Lehtarar Road said.

Tajamal, another trader, revealed that an average bull or cow in the market usually weighs between 120 and 140kg and the minimum average price starts from Rs80,000.

“This is not the final price,” he said, adding that animals weighing over 160kg may cost you as much as Rs250,000.

“That too is not the final price”, he quipped. He added that the average goats and sheep were ranging between Rs25,000 to Rs40,000.

Justifying their stance, the sellers accused the market administration of overcharging claiming they were being charged Rs1,500 for placing a bull, a cow or a camel, while Rs500 for goats and sheep. They claimed the administration was charging an entry fee of Rs10 for goats and sheep as well as Rs25 for bigger animals.

Whereas butchers are not missing out on overcharging citizens, with the sacrifice of goats and sheep being around Rs4,000, while the price of a bigger animal is no less than Rs12,000. “I found their tongues sharper than the knives and cutters,” said a resident of Ghauri Town, Sagheer Ahmed, while fuming over the overcharging by the butchers.

Selling points

For the first time in the history of the federal capital, the local government has made arrangements for selling sacrificial animals at designated points instead of the administration.

“The [ICT] administration has nothing to do with this year’s cattle markets,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdul Sattar Essani said.

Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz said that apart from the Sector I-12 cattle market, a number of markets have also been set up in different union councils to facilitate buyers. Aziz added that action would be taken against illegal markets set up at the road sides.

The mayor said security officials had been deployed to cater to the issue at the designated areas.

Sale of sacrificial animals was at its peak on Sunday as citizens’ throng special markets, as there was a decrease in prices of animals during the second half of the day.

In the absence of a major cattle market in the city, people thronged the Sector I-12 market.

Moreover, a number of unauthorised markets have been set up at various places creating traffic clogs.

“I have come to Adiala Road with my children to buy a goat for sacrifice,” Farrukh Bashir, a buyer said.

“I live in Gulshanabad and could not go to the Sector I-12 market to purchase a goat,” he added. Bashir said that his budget was not more than Rs20,000 to purchase an animal.

Muhammad Shamshad, a resident of Chak Beli Khan in Rawalpindi, has brought about 20 goats at a small market on Adiala Road.

Shamshad said that he reared the goats for over a year and was hopeful that he would earn good money through their sale.

“There are a few posh housing societies at Adiala Road and I believe the residents would pay good money for my goats”, said the vendor.

Shamshad added that he had hired an open plot near the temporary market as he would have had to pay taxes and transportation charges for keeping his cattle at the I-12 market.

Similarly, small cattle markets appeared at  Hamial Road, Chakri Road and Benazir Bhutto Road.

There were more bulls and cows at the market than goats. A large number of visitors were seen at the market to purchase bulls.

The authorised markets caused traffic jams in different parts of the city which included Adiala Road, Dhamial Road in Kamalabad, at City Saddar Road, Kurri Road, and Jamia Masjid Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2016.