Editorial

Sacrificial animal markets

The prevailing confusion about cattle markets will likely affect both traders and intending buyers

Editorial June 16, 2020

Perhaps, never before was uncertainty so intense as it is now in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. One is sure of only one thing and it is about Covid-19, though the curve is yet to flatten in Pakistan. Confusion surrounds the setting up of markets of sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha. The festival is only a month and a half away and uncertainty prevails whether the sacrificial cattle markets will be established in Karachi and other parts of Sindh. Officials are adding to the confusion by issuing conflicting statements. They are not much to blame because they themselves are unsure whether the pandemic could subside or intensify by the time of the festival. In order to remove the confusion, they should announce that things depended on the intensity of the coronavirus pandemic, instead of keep people and cattle traders bussing.

The local government secretary says the official notification banning cattle markets in Sindh’s capital applies only to regular markets. Earlier on June 2, a notification issued by the home department has said all cattle markets in Karachi would stay closed ahead of Eidul Azha. The secretary says the ambiguity in the language of this notification has led many to believe that even the markets for sacrificial animals would not be set up this year.

A spokesman for the Eidul Azha market(s) says, “Last week a notification announced that sacrificial animal market(s) would be allowed to be set up if SOPs were properly adhered to. Now another notification says all cattle markets have been canceled.” He said that at sacrificial animal markets, around 600,000 cattle were sold. However, in the absence of cattle markets, prices of animals would shoot up making them go beyond the reach of many. He said that they planned to open the cattle markets for the public from June 21.

The prevailing confusion about cattle markets will likely affect both traders and intending buyers.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2020.

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