LAHORE:High prices of sacrificial animals have turned the religious event of Eid-ul-Azha into an event of commercial activity and the very spirit of sacrifice seems to have diminished over the last many years. Similarly, the high rates of animals have made it difficult for middle class or lower middle class to perform ‘qurbani’ on this Eid.
Sellers of sacrificial animals are seen going beyond all limits of decency on Eid-ul-Azha by demanding very high prices of the animals, which have gone beyond the reach of the common man. They are demanding prices of their own choice, sans a government regulatory mechanism.
According to a survey conducted by The News, over 450,000 sacrificial animals are slaughtered in the city on every Eid-ul-Azha. Out of this aggregate, more than 250,000 are small animals i.e. goats and sheep while the remaining number is comprised of big animals like cows, calves, camels, etc, says an official of the MCL’s Octroi Department.
As per the survey, the price of a normal size goat ranges from Rs45,000 to Rs55,000, a lamb/sheep from Rs40,000 to Rs60,000 and a cow/calf from Rs90,000 to Rs150,000 in most of the city markets.
The sellers of sacrificial animals said that the ever-growing inflation was the main reason behind the high prices of animals this year as well as increased cost of transportation, fodder and other costs.
Shafique Ahmed, a seller from Bhakkar said that rise in transportation charges, cost of breeding animals and bribe collected by the police and MCL officials led to the increase in the prices. He complained that police had charged him Rs150 to Rs300 per animal in the name of Eidi at every picket on his way from Bhakkar to Lahore.
Ameen Khan, a seller from Khanewal, said the price of green fodder had gone up manifold this year. He said the fare of one truck from Khanewal to Lahore had increased by 200 per cent.
The increased prices of the animals will add to the financial burden of salaried and low-income groups of the society, and, probably, most of them would not be able to perform the religious ritual.
The ‘vicious’ wish of the sellers to make the most of the religious festivals is adding to the suffering of the general public, said Khurram Shah, a resident of Faisal Town. He said he is a banker by profession and knew that there was price hike but not this much. The government’s failure in controlling the prices has aggravated the problems leaving the people helpless, he maintained.
Generally, Eid-ul-Azha is considered more expensive than Eid-ul-Fitr as people have to purchase sacrificial animal in addition to new cloths, shoes, etc, for children and other family members.
Unlike past, people seem to be less enthusiastic about shopping on the Eid this year. “We are not getting much response from the people, though Eid is round the corner,” said Arshad Hamdani, a garments seller at the Anarkali. He said that, as compared with Eid-ul-Fitr, the number of shoppers had decreased on this Eid. When asked, a number of other shopkeepers expressed the same views.
Javed Kashmiri, owner of a restaurant in Gulshan-e-Ravi said the main topic of discussion at home was how to buy a sacrificial animal. The prices of the animals had increased but the income was the same, he added.
Imran Tahir, a resident of the Model Town, said that white-collar citizens were facing the real dilemma as they wanted to buy the animals to fulfill their religious obligation but could not afford it now.
The role of middleman in the supply of sacrificial animals has also resulted in increase of the prices, pushing the prices beyond the reach of the citizens, said Habib Akram, a resident of Model Town.
“As an army officer, I come to my parent’s home in Lahore every year to celebrate the Eid. In past, we used to purchase two goats but, for the last three years, we could not afford two sacrificial animals,” he said.
A majority of buyers believe that the high prices of sacrificial animals will come down as the Eid approached nearer, adding that the sellers would like to sell all their animals before the occasion.
“Presently, the sellers are demanding high prices, especially of goats,” said Hamza, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He said last year he had bought a healthy goat for Rs38,000 whereas the price of the same sort of goat now is over 50,000.
People have also started contacting butchers in advance to slaughter animals in time on the Eid day while the butchers were also demanding high charges for slaughtering animals. Butchers are demanding Rs3,000 to Rs4,500 per goat, Rs8,000 to Rs15,000 for a cow and Rs35,000 to Rs50,000 per camel.
