Sale of sacrificial animals banned in Rawalpindi

Markets will be set up in the suburbs under strict SOPs

RAWALPINDI: Owing to the coronavirus outbreak, the district administration has decided to bar the animal traders from setting up makeshift cattle markets at different spots of the city ahead of Eidul Azha, and instead set up few big markets in suburbs under strict SOPs.

Slaughter of sacrificial animals is a religious ritual of Muslims. However, it holds a cultural significance too, in shape of family outings for buying goats and bulls, and the barbeques and cookouts after the Eid.

However, this year, social distancing being the order of the day, Eidul Azha will be on a different note.

Besides disallowing small animal markets in the city limits, the administration has also chosen to ban vendors who roam around in neighbourhoods with their herds of sacrificial animals.

Instead, multiple cattle markets would be set up in the areas located on the outskirts of Rawalpindi under strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).  However, the administration has yet to allocate sites for establishing these markets.

Officials said that they would choose open areas aeasily accessible by road to set up the cattle markets for Edul Azha.

They added that the sites might be allocated on the outskirts of the garrison city including Adyala Road, Koth Kalan, Rawat Mandi, Pirwudhai, Johar Chowk, and others.

The district officials said that the cattle markets would become operational from July 1.

They added that the administration would devise strict SOPs for the buyers and nobody would be allowed to enter the sales points without facemasks and gloves.

The administration would impose fines on vendors offering their animals for sale by roaming in different areas and neighbourhoods. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2020.