KARACHI, Oct 22: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the provincial and city administrations and police to ensure that no traffic blockage and inconvenience to the general public was caused in any part of the city due to sacrificial animals.

The direction came on a petition against the establishment of unauthorised animal markets (bakra mandis) in different parts of the city.

A division bench comprising Justices Maqbool Baqar and Nadeem Akhtar also issued notices to the chief secretary, local bodies secretary, home secretary, inspector general of police (IGP), Sindh, and DIG traffic for Nov 1.

The bench ordered: “Till then respondents shall ensure that no traffic blockage, congestion and/or inconvenience to general public is caused on account of the herds of sacrificial animals”.

The petition was filed by Rana Faizul Hassan, secretary-general of the United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

He submitted in the petition that the home department had on Oct 11 imposed a ban on the sale and purchase of the sacrificial animals on unauthorised places under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code that allows the government to act immediately to halt any activity that poses a threat to health, safety or public order.

The civil rights campaigner stated that the provincial government allowed the setting up of sacrificial animals’ markets at the Superhighway, Aasu Goth at Malir City, Bhains Colony in Landhi and certain places near Hamdard University, Manghopir Road, Mowach Goth and Baldia Town.

However, he said, illegal and unauthorised cattle markets sprawled in many localities, including Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Akhtar Colony, Banaras, Liaquatabad, Essa Nagri, Gulberg, Orangi Town, Landhi, Korangi and Burnes Road.

The petitioner stated that the unauthorised cattle markets were set up under the active patronage of the area police, who were obtaining gratification from sellers to continue their illegal business in parts of the city.He said that the unauthorised cattle markets in certain parts of the city were leading to a great deal of inconvenience to the general public as traffic congestion in these areas had become an order of the day.

He said he had written several applications to the chief secretary, home secretary, provincial police chief and other civic functionaries inviting their attention towards the menace of unauthorised sacrificial animal markets in certain parts of the city.