Putting aside Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s recommendation, the Sindh government has decided to allow the politico-religious parties to collect hides of sacrificial animals during Eidul Adha but seeking prior permission from the authorities concerned, Pakistan Today has learnt.
In August, the interior minister had requested all political parties in Sindh, especially in Karachi, to stop collecting sacrificial animal skins, zakat or fitrana in an attempt to root out the extortion groups.
Well-placed sources told Pakistan Today that the Sindh Home Department has instructed the politico-religious parties wanting to collect the sacrificial animals’ hides during Eidul Azha to seek a formal written permission either from the department or from the office of the Karachi district coordination officer (DCO).
The home department officials had recently held a meeting with representatives from all political and religious parties and different non-government organisations (NGOs) on the issue. The meeting was also attended by deputy inspector generals of the three zones of Karachi and law enforcement agencies’ officials.