Govt may restrict individual animal sacrifices on Eidul Azha.

Byline: Kalbe Ali

ISLAMABAD -- The government is planning to restrict individual animal sacrifices and sacrifices carried out on roads under a set of new standard operating procedures (SOP) for Eidul Azha, which will be finalised by June 30.

Feedback sought by the Ministry of Interior to develop SOPs for Eid have started to arrive from the provinces, which have suggested against allowing sacrificial animal markets within urban areas.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, however, is finding it difficult to negotiate with clerics, who are demanding that seminaries be reopened so they can carry out collective animal sacrifices and collect animal hides.

'There has been a strict mechanism to collect the skins and hides of sacrificial animals. The clerics have asked for these restrictions to be lifted and to allow collective sacrifices in seminaries,' ministry spokesperson Mohammad Imran said.

Health experts concerned that interaction between urban residents and animal vendors could cause coronavirus to spread in rural areas

He added: 'They are asking for seminaries to be opened for this purpose and for students to be allowed to return to help manage these affairs.'

The ministry is going to hold another round of negotiations with clerics on Monday, along with officials from the ministries of interior and national health services.

An interior ministry official also said that federal government officials are negotiating with organisations that receive the bulk animal hides to help organise collective sacrifices in various parts of the country.

Interior Minister retired Brig Ijaz Shah is spearheading the effort to devise Eidul Azha SOPs, saying recently that concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus are much higher during Eidul Azha.

An official from the interior ministry said that input from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for incorporation into the national SOPs is expected tomorrow (Monday), while Sindh has already sent in its decision not to let any sacrificial market operate in city limits and to only allow collective sacrifices instead of letting residents sacrificing animals out on the roads or in their homes.

However, authorities are apprehensive that SOPs related to collective sacrifices will be followed.

The spokesperson for Karachi's Sohrab Goth sacrificial animal market Yawar Chawla said...