Sacrificial animals start arriving in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi : Sacrificial animals have started arriving in the Rawalpindi division from far-flung areas of the country for sale ahead of Eidul Azha.

These animals can be seen in Raja Bazaar, Barra Market, Fawara Chowk, Dingi Khoi, Waris Khan, Naz Cinema, College Road, Benazir Bhutto Road, Bakra Mandi, Lalkurti, Dheri Hassanabad, and Saddar Bazaar.

A visit to different sale points revealed that the animal prices are quite high and beyond the reach of the common man. The majority of sellers of sacrificial animals are demanding very high rates as there is no price regulatory mechanism introduced by the city government. Price of a normal size goat/sheep/lamb ranges from Rs60,000 to Rs80,000 whereas a cow/calf from Rs120,000 to Rs300,000. On the other hand, sellers of sacrificial animals say that the main reasons behind the high prices of animals are increased transportation costs as well as the hike in the prices of animal fodder.

Raja Atif, a calf seller from DG Khan, said that the rise in transportation charges and the cost of animal feed led to an increase in animal prices. “I can’t sell my animals on loss,” he said, adding that he was thinking of going back home as the customer’s response was not very good at the moment. The high prices of sacrificial animals will affect the salaried and low-income groups of the society the most, a resident of Gawalmandi said, adding that his family would probably not be able to perform this religious ritual due to the high prices of the sacrificial animals this year. On the other hand, City District Government Rawalpindi, and Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) are preparing plans to make city clean on the auspicious occasion of Eidul Azha.