Butchers ready to charge arm and a leg

Many in the country faced with an economic crisis in the wake of Covid-19

ISLAMABAD:

Most countries of the world are known to launch various relief efforts to make religious festival more accessible for people in times of national crisis. It is often seen that prices are dropped and public and private organisations join hands to maintain a steady supply of goods, at least for the festival. However, the case is markedly different for Pakistan, where prices have dramatically surged in advance of the Muslim festival of Eidul Azha and butcher services are said to be gearing for a daylight robbery.

According to market sources, butchers in Islamabad have already started closing bookings for the upcoming festival and the pricing plan for the year is nothing short of extortionate. “Though rates may vary from place to place, butcher services in areas like Karachi Company, Peshawar Mor, Bara Kahu, and Sectors I-9, F-8 and F-9 are particularly expensive. Where butcher service for the sacrifice of a goat costs around Rs5,000 to Rs6,000, an average sized cow will cost as much as Rs12,000 to Rs16,000 and a camel can go up to Rs Rs30,000 in these areas.”

Keep calm and get your meat on with this three-course Eid feast

While many in the country are already faced with an economic crisis in the wake of Covid-19, the surge in prices has put people in a tight spot between maintaining their finances and celebrating Eidul Azha with religious fervor. Resultantly, to avoid the added hassle of chasing butcher services and scouring cattle markets for sacrificial animals amid pandemic, many in the capital have also chosen to opt for online sacrificial services this year.

According to Ashiq Hussain, a butcher in the cantonment city, there has been no business for the past three months during the lockdown. The price of meat had gone up due to decline in production and the ban on inter-city transport. So there weren’t a lot of regular customers, but things were expected to get better by Bakra Eid season. “However, not a lot has changed. The virus is still as big a threat and people are still unsure whether they should spend money on sacrifice or use it to save lives,” said Hussain. “If you look around, there is a lot of uncertainty right now. No one knows when they will be faced with a medical emergency and need money for treatment,” he added.

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Talking to The Express Tribune about the current situation, Faizan Malik, a resident of Islamabad said that there’s much less excitement and fervor for the religious festival this year as compared to the past. There is also the issue of seasonal butchers, who remain absent during the whole year and sprout right before Eid season to quote exorbitant prices and cash in on the opportunity. “We used to get our sacrificial animals from Fateh Jhang and Kashmir every year with great enthusiasm and book our butcher months before Eid. However, this time, celebrating Eidul Azha with the same fervor has been made impossible because of the pandemic. Like many residents of the city, we too have chosen to opt for an online sacrificial service, which is safer in these times and quite convenient also. The company has promised to deliver our meat to our doorstep on the first day of Eid,” Malik shared.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2020.