Eidul Azha: District govt warns against illegal collection of hides

Cattle markets see rush of buyers in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: The district government has also placed a ban on unauthorised collection of animal hides in the garrison city on the occasion of Eidul Azha that will be celebrated throughout the country today (Tuesday).

The District Coordination Officer (DCO) Talat Mahmood Gondal imposed Section 144 on the occasion of Eidul Azha and warned against unauthorised collection of hides from the city.

The DCO, in a notification, stated that all religious and welfare organisations needed to obtain necessary NOC from district authorities before collecting hides.

He said that if any individual or organisation was found collecting hides without authorisation, strict legal action would be taken against them.

Rush in the cattle market at I-12 and other unauthorised markets remained high one day before the Eid.

The rain on Sunday night turned the weather pleasant as people with their children visited markets and purchased animals of their choices.

Prices of sacrificial animals were down one day before the Eid as cattle vendors wanted to sell all of their animals.

Their efforts to sell all of their animals led to a relative decline in prices.

On the other hand, buyers also tried to purchase animals a day before Eid as they find it hard to keep goats or bulls at home.

Some buyers found it hard to find fodder for their animals.

People who intend to perform sacrifice have already booked butchers.

Professional and trained butchers are demanding more than seasonal ones.

“Professional butchers are likely to charge from Rs5,000 to Rs8,000 for a goat and from Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 for a bull,” said Muhammad Shahid who runs a meat shop at Chungi No 22 near the Combine Military Hospital.

He said that he had teamed up with four other professional butchers and they would slaughter and cut animals together.

Working as a team always helps us slaughter more animals than others on Eid days, Shahid said.

Professional butchers are, however, short in supply therefore many others will take up knives to slaughter animals on Eid days, he said.

Shahid said that seasonal butchers were very helpful on Eid as a lot of animals were to be slaughtered in three days.

Meanwhile, many people from the garrison city had left for their native towns to celebrate Eidul Azha.

Rush of passengers was seen at the railway station and at bus terminals in Pirwadhai and Soan Camp.

The passengers started leaving for their homes on Saturday after the government announced public holidays.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2016.