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Thursday March 28, 2024

More sacrificial animal markets demanded in capital

By APP
August 18, 2018

Islamabad : Local vendors on Friday demanded for more markets of sacrificial animals in the federal capital, voicing the concern over the financial losses incurred due to imposition of section 144 in Islamabad that prohibits the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals other than designated places.

Over 40 per cent of the local trader, which constitute 50.57 per cent of the capital's population (2 million) are associated with the cattle farming business. They woe over the prevailing situation and request the authorities concerned to uplift the section 144, barring them to garner the profit of entire year.

For this annual tradition, the Islamabad Capital Territory administration had specified only legitimate place in I-12 sector to accommodate the influx of over 100,000 animals, keeping the public convenience in mind.

However, the market took some time in getting operational because of some administrative matters relating the opening of four new markets in areas of Rawat, Bhara Kahu,Tramrri and Sarai Kharbooza.

The circular issued by the District Magistrate Islamabad on August 3 stated that the section 144 is being imposed in the federal capital with regard to the expected mass influx of sacrificial animals ahead of Eidul Azha. This order was conveyed to every department concerned and circulated on electronic and print media.

Concerned departments were directed to take strict action against the sellers who violate the law by moving their sacrificial animals in bulk within capital territory with the objective of higher profits.

This influx of sacrificial animals on roads, green belts, and empty plots in various sectors of ICT pose not only the threat of health hazards but they also endanger human life by creating traffic congestion, it added.

A vendor form Shehzad town, Raja Liaqut said that he had been doing the cattle farming for the last 10 years and earned a great profit at Eidul Azha but regretted that the situation has changed over the last couple of years.

He was not allowed to do business in his own farm house, last night a police official warned him for this practice, he complained.

Liaqut said, “It is difficult to gain profit by selling an animal in the market as the transportation of the animals to the market costs around Rs10,000 and a single goat eats a fodder of Rs5,000 per month.” On the top of that, the management of the market levied a tax of Rs2,650 for big and Rs1,250 for small animal.

"How can someone expect to earn profit after such huge expenditures?" he questioned.

Meanwhile, the public has their own reasons of raised concern over this ban.

Shadab Haider a buyer, from Rawat, at I-12 market told APP that he had to travel 29 km to buy a sheep and finally managed to purchase the sheep in Rs30,000 after a marathon bargaining. "Now I have to shift it to my home for which transporters demands more than Rs15,00," he added.