By Jamila Achakzai
Be they professional or amateur, butchers are these days readying their tools for imminent Bakra Eid, as Eidul Azha is popularly called in local lingo.
Two options are available to them either to get old, rusty knives, choppers, small axes and other accessories sharpened or buy new ones. But what’s certain is that in both cases, blacksmiths are to make quick bucks. And, this is what they’re doing now.
With Eidul Azha just four days away, some makeshift stalls selling new tools of butchery or sharpening old ones have also sprouted in markets and alongside the roads. They also sell large wooden blocks or pieces used as meat cutting boards.
There are also many, who’re doing the job on relatively less charges by doing the rounds of the city on bicycles fitted with loud speakers. The obvious reason of their sudden appearance just before Eid and disappearance in the next three to four days is to cash in on the Eid frenzy.
As such, there exists no specific commercial area dealing in tools of butchery in the capital city but the same are readily available in Aabpara, G-9 Markaz and weekly bazaars, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) organises in H-9, Aabpara and I-9.
Unlike Islamabad, Rawalpindi downtown has a blacksmiths’ area. In this area known as Purana Kila (old fort) located close to famous Raja Bazaar, blacksmiths remain busy throughout the year shaping iron and steel into household and commercial goods in high-temperature settings.
Like always, this Eid has also brought lots of orders for them. They’re working day and night to deliver orders on time.
Jamshed Ali, a blacksmith in G-9 Markaz, confirmed big sales of knives, choppers, small axes, hooks, skewers and grills ahead of Eid, saying both professional butchers and the amateurs planning to slaughter animals at home made up his clientele.
For him, Eidul Azha days are the busiest days for him. “Though we stop booking orders much before Eid, we’ve to be somewhat lenient when people very close to us approach us for preparing knives, choppers, grills etc on order or sharpening knives and choppers. Our workers remain busy till late at night before Eid just to deliver orders,” he said.
He said prices of tools of butchery varied depending on quality and weight of the material used for their making. He said most of the people opted for a set comprising a chopper used for breaking big bones, two big knives used for chopping meat and two small size knives for removing hide and soft skin.
He said a set was priced between Rs600 to Rs1,500. He said he charged Rs15 for sharpening a knife and Rs30 for a chopper.
A survey revealed prevalence of almost the same rates in the area.
Kaleem, a blacksmith based in Purana Kila, denied high charges for their products and services compared with last year. He said when the prices of steel, irons and utility services were skyrocketing, then rates of their products would also definitely go up.
He denied profiteering in the market during Eidul Azha days but admitted rates slightly varied from shop to shop like markets of other goods. He said blacksmiths did brisk business on Eidul Azha unlike other days of the year when sales stayed quite low.
According to him, there are shops in the city which sell choppers, knives and other accessories of foreign make but they’re high in price and less in demand compared with those made indigenously.