Sacrificial animals: Prices shoot up as Eid approaches

Scores of people leave for hometowns.

LAHORE: Prices of sacrificial animals surged the day before Eidul Azha on Sunday.

The prices had gone up during the second half of the day forcing citizens to purchase animals from vendors outside the markets set up by the city government.

The city government seemed unable to launch a crackdown on cattle sale points established outside the designated areas.

According to city government officials The Express Tribune spoke to the buying trend on Sunday benefitted the vendors who sold animals on high prices.

Two motorcyclists are seen walking their camel on Allama Iqbal Road on Sunday. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS

The officials said most people appeared to have chosen to purchase animals on the last two days before Eid hoping that prices would go down on Saturday and Sunday. However, they said, vendors had raised the prices when a large number of buyers thronged the markets.

Zeeshan Zeb, a buyer at Saggian Bridge, said he had decided to buy an animal on the day before Eid.

“I was not expecting the prices to shoot up today,” Zeb told The Express Tribune. He said a billy goat that would earlier cost Rs30,000 was sold for Rs40,000 on Sunday.

“I visited several roadside vendors before going to Saggian Bridge and Shahpur Kanjran markets. Prices of animals at street markets were more reasonable than at those set up by the government,” he said. The city government officials said the number of illegally set up animal markets had doubled over the last two days. They said the vendors doing trade on roadside created bottlenecks for the smooth flow of traffic.

Exodus

A large number of people left for their hometown on Sunday to celebrate the festivity with their loved ones. Queues of people were seen buying tickets at bus stands at Lorry Adda, Yateem Khana, Thokar Niaz Beg and at the City railway station.

Those who had not reserved their seats in advance had to wait for hours to board a bus. Some people who spoke to The Express Tribune complained about overcharging by transporters.

Bus operators, on the other hand, said only those complaining had erred in not buying their tickets.

City government official said they had lodged FIRs against those found overcharging.

Tariq Zaman, the personal staff officer to the district coordination officer, said eight teams were monitoring the stands to check overcharging.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2014.