MIRPURKHAS: The International Donkey Day, “Mandi” (Piri), was held at the Tando Ghulam Ali town, about 60 kilometres from Mirpurkhas on Sunday, where thousands of donkeys were brought to be sold from across the country.
As many as 30 different breeds of donkeys including the Laasi, Takkur, Thari, Gantiyo, Irani, Khachar and Babar Laasi among others were up on display for sale at the Piri.
However, the animals were not available on the cheap as the price ranged from a minimum of Rs 50,000 to a maximum Rs 300,000 per donkey. The owners had done it all to attract buyers, going as far as decorating their donkeys with the traditional “Raali” (silver ring), flowers wreaths and other embellishments.
The buyers had come from all across the country and from abroad, including Peshawar, Multan, Lahore, and Canada, Iran, and India. Some of the buyers, including Gul Zamaan, Raheem and Chandar told Pakistan Today that they had been coming to the Piri for the last five years for purchasing the animals as it was the biggest Piri in the world.
Abdul Khalique Shah, the Piri organiser, told Pakistan Today that the Piri was the biggest in the world and was being organized annually for a very long time. He said that the donkeys of Tando Ghulam Ali, Dumbalo and other parts of Badin district were renowned worldwide for their height, strength, color and other physical attributes.
Meanwhile, as successful as the Piri was for the oraganiser and the buyers and sellers, the citizens of Tando Ghulam Ali complained about the disturbance caused by the donkeys’ cries, with many terming the noise ‘unbearable’.
