For all sort of reasons, social media has been buzzing these days with the Cattle Market, which becomes the go-to place for the male youth as well as many elders and children of the city even when Eidul Azha is one full month away.
The Maweshi Mandi, which is claimed by many to be the biggest animal market in Asia, has, this time, been organised on the Northern Bypass instead of the Super Highway.
With the day-by-day increase in the footfall at the market, it is becoming a source for memes and triggering discussions on social media containing both praises and criticism. Most of the criticism, however, is about the new location in the city’s outskirts, which some find not only far away but also not safe to travel to.
The earlier venue of Sohrab Goth was changed this year probably due to concerns of residents of the adjoining residential societies who faced commuting and parking problems due to immense number of visitors coming to the market.
People would complain on social media about traffic woes and the demand was frequently made to shift the market to a peripheral area of the city.
The authorities listened to the demand and shifted the market to a location on the Northern Bypass with no residential units nearby. However, this time people are complaining about long distance as well as deserted routes to the place that instil fear.
Memes
Memes are being circulated highlighting law and order concerns of people visiting the market. Many of them — as memes generally are — are full of exaggeration. A trending social media picture shows two dacoits sitting under the banner ‘Welcome to Cattle Market Karachi’ implying that visitors may meet some robbers on their way before they arrive at the market.
Many audio messages are also circulating on different social media platforms in which individuals are narrating crime incidents en route to the cattle market. Such messages, the authenticity of which is not confirmed, may have resulted in less number of people visiting the market this year compared to previous years.
Audio messages are also going viral that call for not going to farmhouses on the way to the Maweshi Mandi. In one of such messages, a man who claims to be a driver says three vehicles booked from Gulistan-e-Jauhar for a water park near the Northern Bypass came under attack by a group of 20 to 25 criminals who busted their tyres first and then robbed the picnickers.
Refuting ‘fake news’
Cattle Market Administrator Muzaffar Hassan said the market administration was in contact with the police and other law enforcement agencies regarding security issues.
“Best steps are being taken to protect the lives of the visitors and traders, and their valuables and animals,” he claimed.
He said no visitor had met any unfortunate incident on their way to the market. “From the Northern Bypass to Gulshan-e-Maymar, all the routes are clear and not a single unfortunate incident has so far been reported at any police station.”
He explained that a flag march had also been held on Tuesday by law enforcement agencies to give the message to the market visitors that their security was being ensured.
Cattle Market Spokesperson Yawar Chawla condemned what he said fake news that were circulating on social media against the cattle market. “This is a totally negative propaganda,” he said, adding that cops of three police stations, 250 personnel of the Sindh Reserve Police and one unit of Rangers had been assigned security duties.
He maintained that the Cattle Market was owned by a cantonment, which ensured strict security measures.
The spokesperson explained that the establishment of the Cattle Market on the Northern Bypass did not happen overnight, but after two years of proper planning. Regarding the audios being circulated on social media, he said they had no authenticity.
Replying to a question, he said there was no Kutchi Abadi in the radius of at least four kilometres from the market.
Police jurisdiction
The routes leading to the Cattle Market fall into the jurisdiction of different police stations, including the Gulshan-e-Maymar, Site Super Highway, Gadap City, Surjani Town, Sohrab Goth and Sacchal police stations.
The market itself falls within the limits of two police stations – Gulshan-e-Maymar and Gadap City. Slum areas are scattered in the area where criminal gangs are said to be operating.
The areas sensitive in terms of crime that lie on different routes to the market include Shad Bagh Morr, Jamali Bridge, Gulshan-e-Maymar Morr, Ahsanabad, Bengali Morr, Chakar Hotel area, Janjar Goth, Hangora Goth, Anwar Marri Goth, KDA Road, Afghan Camp, Bahadur Goth, Abdullah Gabol Goth, Labour Square, Abbas Brohi Goth, Surjani Zero Point and Kochi Camp.
Police sources say criminals in these areas used unpaved roads to get to the Northern Bypass and retreated to their hideouts after committing crimes.
District West SSP Faisal Bashir Memon told The News that police had conducted a survey to ensure security along the routes to the Cattle Market. He added that it would be too early to say how many more personnel were required.
He explained that the police had planned two-tier security measures - one for the traders and the other for the visitors or buyers. “In the past, there have been such incidents where those who were carrying cattle were robbed and the criminals escaped by stealing their animals,” SSP Memon explained.
He said the police were not establishing any check points on the side of the cattle market or the roads, but some points had been identified where effective checking measures would be taken.
The West SSP said they had also sought help from the Rangers and asked them to patrol the roads leading to the market.
Meanwhile, District Malir SSP Hassan Sardar Niazi told The News that some part of the market was their domain.
In response to a question, he said there was no additional burden on the police regarding security measures at the market.
Relieved citizens
Residents of Scheme 33, Gulzar-e-Hijri, which is considered to be a jungle of residential societies, feel relieved because the market has been shifted from Sohrab Goth.
“We are happy that this time, we will not be affected by the Cattle Market,” said a resident of Scheme 33.
Regarding the new venue for the market, he said he had no objection to it if security was ensured.
“The question is whether the police, which cannot protect the citizens from street criminals inside the city, can protect them in the city’s outskirts,” he asked.