Owing to rising inflation, butchers, blacksmiths and the knife-sellers seem to have also ganged-up to financially slaughter the people intending to sacrifice animals on Eid days.
It is evident by the fact that around 50 percent increase in prices and service charges have been recorded this year.
Interestingly, the knife-sellers and butchers are not on the radar of the authorities concerned.
During a survey, Pakistan Today observed that butchers were demanding Rs 2,000 to 2,500 per goat and sheep on the first day of Eid, while the charges stood at Rs 5,000 to 8,000 for a bull or cow. However, the second day’s rates are comparatively less than the Eid day.
“Since I have special command on this subject… I usually earn around Rs 20,000 during the two days of Eid,” said Sikander Ali, a butcher at Sitara Market. He said for this Eid, his team had so far booked four bulls and three small cases – goat and sheep – for slaughtering.
Sikander said besides regular butchers, a number of immature butchers, who worked at poultry shops the in suburb areas of the city, also came in the market. Sikander appealed the customers to be aware of them, as they could ruin the sacrifice.
It was also noticed in the survey that a large number of customers had booked butchers in advance to avoid inconvenience on Eid Day.
“Every year butchers play with people faith…there should be a mechanism to fix rates,” said Rashid Khan, a customer. He said he booked a butcher in advance for slaughtering a goat against Rs 2,000, as searching them on Eid day was a very difficult job.
Talking to Pakistan Today Zareef Khan, a blacksmith who also sells knives at his stall in G/9 Markaz – commonly known as Karachi Company – , said his business was on peak. “I have to feed my eight-member family and I wait for this special occasion throughout the year,” Zareef said.
He admitted that about fifty percent increase in prices of new knives was witnessed this year. “Due to inflation we have to raise charges for knives sharpening.”
Zareef, who have been associated with the profession for the last 20 years said in normal days, he used to earn Rs 250 to Rs 300; however, his business was going well for the last one week. “Nowadays, I am earning Rs 1,000 to 1,500 per day,” he said.
He charged Rs 20 for sharpening a normal size knife and Rs 50 for an axe.
“Where we should go…the cattle market experience was enough to financially frustrated me. Now it is the knife-sellers turn to slaughter me,” said Rizwan Gull, who came at Karachi Company to buy some new sets of knives for slaughtering.
