PESHAWAR: Like other provinces, the trade of sacrificial animals has also increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where all cattle markets are flooded with cows, buffalos, sheep, goats and camels on Eidul Azha.
The last night’s heavy rains in Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera districts have turned the weather relatively pleasant on Monday, resultantly faithful thronged to cattle markets to purchase a suitable sacrificial animal to perform Eidul Azha, the second Muslim ritual that commemorates the supreme sacrifices of great Prophets Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and his son Hazrat Ismail (AS) on upcoming Thursday.
The businessmen of Punjab and Sindh provinces besides domestic traders have brought their stock in large numbers to
the lucrative market of Peshawar to earn maximum capital.
The last night rains have created problems for buyers and traders. It was also found that the visitors were more in number than buyers as most of the salaries class came to the markets to have an idea about the prices, however, traders are expecting that the sale of cattle will speed up on the eve of Eid.
“Since last Saturday, I have sold 15 goats out of 40 available with me in Kala Kala market. The buyers mostly come to markets to take an idea about the prices and then returned empty hands last weeks,” said Mosa Khan, a cattle trader
in Pachagai Road. He said dealers economically suffer if the stock was not sold on Eid.
He said the trade of animals has now picked up momentum after the rains and people are visiting markets in large numbers.
“I bought a goat on Rs 50,000 due to pleasant weather and reasonable prices in the market today,” Waheed Zaman, a buyer said when asked at Lala Kalli cattle market near Peshawar.
Waheed said that trend of collective “Qurbani” has increased due to skyrocketing prices of sacrificial animals on the eve of Eidul Azha.
Apart from domestic traders, inter-provincial businessmen dealing in cattle heads are bringing their stocks to
Peshawar to got high prices in the wake of Eidul Azha.
“I have so far brought 12 trucks of cattle each from Sahiwal and my brother will send five more trucks to Peshawar
shortly due to it’s high demands,” Ibrahim Khan, an inter-provincial exporter of Nowshera said.
Livestock and Dairy Development Department spokesman told APP that hundreds of thousands of cattle are being sacrificed only in the province on Eidul Azha.
He said KP have no choice but to import cattle from Punjab to ensure the availability of sacrificial animals at reasonable rates to people,”, adding that around 70 to 75 per cent cattle are being brought from Punjab for Eid.
He suggested a tripartite-export agreement between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan to meet people’s requirements of beef, milk and sacrificial animals.
The spokesman said that special checkpoints were established with the assistance of the provincial government at various places on highways connecting KP with ex-FATA to control the menace of cattle smuggling to Afghanistan.
