RAWALPINDI: The prices of sacrificial animals, especially of goats and sheep have increased significantly as the purchasing process has gained momentum ahead of Eid-ul-Azha as only two weeks left for Eid festivity. As the second religious Muslim festival Eid-ul-Azha, a number of cattle makeshift market have been set up in Rawalpindi.

The cattle markets were almost full, but the buyers were leaving empty-handed because of exorbitant prices of the sacrificial animals. These animals can be seen in Raja Bazaar, Bara Market, Fowara Chowk, Dengi Khoi, Waris Khan, Naz Cinema, College Road, Benazir Bhutto road, Bakra Mandi, Lal Kurti, Dheri Hassanabad and Saddar Bazaar.

At the moment, animal prices are quite high and beyond the reach of the common man. Majority of sellers of sacrificial animals are demanding very high rates as there is no price regulatory mechanism introduced by the city government.

A visit to different sale points revealed that the price of a normal size goat/sheep/lamb ranges from Rs 60,000 to Rs80,000 whereas a cow/calf from Rs120,000 to Rs 3,00,000. On the other hand, sellers of sacrificial animals said that main reason behind high prices of animals are increased transportation costs as well as increase in prices of animal fodder. Raja Atif, a calf seller from DG Khan, said that rise in transportation charges, cost of animal breeding led to the increase in the animal prices. “I can’t sell my animals on loss,” he said adding he was thinking of going back home as customer’s response was not very good at the moment.

The most affected of the high prices of sacrificial animals are the salaried and low income groups of the society who thought that they will probably not be able to perform this religious ritual due to high prices of the sacrificial animals this year. On the other hand, City District Government Rawalpindi, Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) preparing a plan to make city clean on the auspicious occasion of Eid ul Azha.