With just a few days left until Eid ul Azha, the prices of sacrificial animals have increased sharply as the purchasing process has gained momentum ahead of Eid.
The traders as well as buyers at cattle sale points have also expressed concern over high cost of the animals as well as transportation charges.
Cattle traders usually come to Rawalpindi from other parts of the district like Fateh jang, Talagang, Attock, Taxila, Gujar Khan and other cities. People were visiting animals markets to buy or see suitable animals but most of the buyers looked disappointed upon observing high prices of animals which they said were beyond what they could afford.
The authorities concerned have also failed to enforce the ban on the sale of sacrificial animals on roads, streets and markets as several roads of Rawalpindi city and Cantonment areas have been turned into cattle markets.
The citizens said that the cattle markets were far away and the fare from the cattle market to the city was up to Rs 4,000 to 6,000.
They said that the prices of animals in local bazaars were up to Rs 20,000 cheaper as compared to the cattle market.
A large number of cattle sellers have preferred to sell their herd in the open market instead of taking them to the dedicated cattle market at Bhata Chowk due to what they said the increased market fee. Earlier, the Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation, the Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards had banned the sale of sacrificial animals on stalls or streets ahead of Eid ul Azha.
For this purpose, the district administration had also issued a notification imposing a ban on the open sale of sacrificial animals. However, the sellers of all the adjoining areas of Rawalpindi district have stopped taking animals to the dedicated cattle market and have started selling a pair of four to five small animals and two large animals at the temporary set up stall, streets and streets in the city.
