Staff Reporter
As many as 82 proscribed organizations and banned outfits which are on the radar of the Punjab Home Department will not be allowed to collect hides of sacrificial animals on Eid-ul-Azha and individuals or organizations with permission from the Deputy Commissioner will be allowed to collect hides.
According to details, the Punjab Home Department has directed the district administration and law enforcement agencies to remain alert so that the banned organizations might not collect hides of sacrificial animal on Eid-ul-Azha.
The authorities concerned have been directed to thoroughly check the violators. The total number of organizations in Punjab is 82 which were banned or put under surveillance.
The faithful will sacrifice animals on Eid-ul-Azha and in a spirit of charity, donate the hides of the sacrificial animals to various organizations collecting the hides.
Various religious seminaries and charity organizations try to collect maximum hides because it is a lucrative multi-million-rupee business.
The hides are sold to tanneries which willingly take the raw hides, process them into fine leather and sell them on to factories producing leather goods, shoes, bags, coats and other garments, which have a great demand in the fashion industry, domestic and international markets.
Additionally, hide collection is a money-spinning business worth billions of rupees through exports.
The activists of political and religious parties including banned organizations, do whatever it takes to ensure they fetch the maximum number of hides to earn profit.
Besides religious seminaries and human rights organizations like Edhi, Chhippa, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust and several others, a number of militant organizations, which are banned or under surveillance attempt to gather the hides to finance their illegal activities.
The organizations which have been banned by the government, endeavour to collect these lucrative hides for their coffers and pursue their illegal activities.