A centuries-old blood sport in the Indus Valley and other parts of the world, cockfighting remains popular among young people in the garrison city.

Although betting on cockfighting is banned, the sport itself is permitted in Punjab. Whereas chickens are often kept as pets in villages, in cities roosters are mostly kept in order to compete in fights.

In the Indian subcontinent, cockfighting was patronised by nawabs and was often the subject of betting, but the activity goes back to ancient times in India, China, Persia and Greece.

Today, chicken fairs can be spotted on the way to Hamilton Road from Fawara Chowk after Friday prayers, with young people carrying roosters or buyers paying handsomely for their favourite breed of fighting roosters. The birds will then be prepared for fights, which usually take place on winter afternoons.

Sajid Khan, who deals in such birds, told Dawn they have to be fed almond, milk, butter and other foods to prepare them for fights. Roosters are also trained before they enter a fight.

Cockfights are not simple, and sometimes result in the death of one of the animals, he said.

A rooster’s deadliest weapon, he said, is the ‘khar’, the back of the claws, which owners keep sharp for fights.

Mr Khan said cockfighting is not a pastime but a sport. “The cock is trained to run as well as in other forms of exercise so it does not lose stamina,” he said.

There are many places in Rawalpindi where cockfights are held, Majid Ahmed, who owns a rooster himself, said.

“Some people arrange special parties and invite people, and betting is also involved,” he said.

Like pigeon keepers, they also have to wake up early in the morning and work with the rooster until night-time, he said, adding that this is not an easy job and people use it to make money.

“The fighter rooster will perform best for two years,” he added. “All fights do not end in the death of one of the roosters, but sometimes they may face physical trauma.”

He said that bringing a fighter rooster to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can earn Rs100,000 to Rs150,000, but in Raja Bazaar and Dhoke Hassu “the normal fighter rooster is available for Rs1,000 to Rs2,000.

Mohanpura resident Farid Jan said that special breeds of fighter roosters are brought from Mianwali and Sargodha.

“When the rooster becomes old, it is kept with the hens for breeding,” he said.

Fighter roosters are in demand these days because winter is the best season for fights, he added. Mr Jan claimed that while gambling is banned, the police rarely raid such events; police officials even visit the market in search of fighter roosters that they keep at home.

A senior police officer, however, said that while there is no ban on cockfighting betting is an offence, and the police have raided sites and arrested those involved.

However, cockfighting, and other animal fights such as bullfights and dogfights, is not accepted as a game by those concerned with the wellbeing of animals, who say that innocent household animals are hurt by the practice.

Dr Tahir Sharif, a physician and social worker, said cockfights and other animal fights create insensitivity in society as children who see such activities grow immune to them.

“Aggressive behaviour is visible in children where such activities take place regularly,” he said.

Psychiatrist Dr Zona Tahir also said children should not be involved in such games, explaining: “There are two bad things – one is that these games bring them towards gambling and the second is that such fights affect children’s positive behaviour.”

She said aggression from parents and adults who act as role models for children will lead to aggression among children as well, adding “in civilised societies parents and others have to be careful with their actions so children’s behaviour in society remains positive”.

Under the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1890, baiting or inciting animals to fight is punishable with a fine of up to Rs50. However, the law exempts inciting animals to fight if such fighting is not likely to cause injury or suffering to animals and precautions are taken to prevent injuries and suffering.

In February last year, Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja moved a bill to amend the act, which would increase the fine for inciting animals to fight to Rs300,000. Around the same time, the Sindh High Court also directed provincial authorities to take steps to ban all kinds of customary games and activities causing cruelty to animals.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2019