Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Cattle imported from India can be seen in large numbers in markets in this northwestern Pakistani city thronged by people shopping for sacrificial animals ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festival.
Traders said the animals were imported from India because the devastating flash floods across Pakistan earlier this year had killed livestock in large numbers,including tens of thousands of heads of cattle.
The imports will also meet the growing demand for sacrificial animals for Eid-ul-Azha,the traders said.
A dealer at Ring Road Market,one of the biggest in Peshawar,pointed towards his cattle and said: “These animals are tired as they arrived a little while ago via the Wagah border after travelling for two days from India. A majority of the animals in this market are imported from India.”
Despite the imports,the prices of sacrificial animals have soared beyond the reach of the salaried class and even government officials earning a handsome salary have said they are not in a position to buy an animal.
Many people have opted to purchase a share in an animal that will be jointly sacrificed on behalf of several persons.
The average price of a head of cattle ranges between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 and one shopper said he had been able to get the price knocked down to Rs 60,000 after a lot of arguments with the dealer.
The Pakistan government recently allowed the import of animals and other food items from India in view of soaring demands ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
