Rs20bn worth of animals but fewer customers at Shahpur Kanjran.

LAHORE -- Punjab's biggest sacrificial animal sale point - Lahore Shahpur Kanjran cattle market - seems to have fewer buyers as the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha has yet to pick momentum. According to a government official, there are Rs20 billion animals present at the market.

'What will you buy when you already are suppressed by high prices of everything, rising unemployment, and other constraints?' said Ayub, a visitor at the market.

'In such a situation, can you even think to buy sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha? I am here for window shopping. I thought of buying a 30-35kg-goat for Rs25,000 or so. But after seeing the rates, I've decided to spend Eid without 'Qurbani' this year as the price of the same goat now ranges between Rs50,000 to Rs60,000.'

A goat seller, on the other hand, defended the prices of sacrificial animals.

'I think the prices of sacrificial animals are almost equal to the last year if you compare it to increasing inflation, the price hike of everything and other factors,' he said.

The government last year set up 12 sacrificial animals' sale points in the city, while this year, it has established 13 such markets. These include Lakhudair, Ring Road (1100 Kanal) in Wagha Wagah Zone, LDA City, Sidhar Village, Kahna Kacha, Defence Road (2,200 kanals), Pine Avenue, near Valencia and Shanu Babu Chowk (700 Kanal) and Fruit and Vegetable Market, Kacha (800 kanals) in Nishtar Zone, K Block, DHA Phase-9 (3,000 kanals) and Kahna Kacha Interchange, Ring Road (300 kanals) in Gulberg Zone, Saggian, Hazrat Abu Bakar (160 kanals) in Ravi Zone, NFC Society, near Bahria Town (880 Kanal), Raiwind/Manga Road (900 Kanal) and Raiwind, near Haveli Market in Allama Iqbal Zone and Hazrat Usman Ghani Road, near Saggian (136 Kanal) in Data Ganj Bakhsh Zone, LDA Avenue-1 and Shahpur Kanjran, Multan Road, near EME/DHA (450 kanals) in Allama Iqbal Zone.

All points have a huge number of goats, cows, calves, camels, etc.

'At Shahpur Kankran alone, approximately over 70,000 goats, sheep, etc, 10,000 cows/calves and 1,000 camels are present, which have been brought here by a number of traders from various parts of Sindh and Punjab. These all animals have been housed in 600 regular cattle pens and 100 temporary ones. Some are housed separately under tents,' Jazib Saeed, Punjab...

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