GUJRAT: Herds of sacrificial goats from hilly areas or “Pahari Bakras” have been brought to the central Punjab for the sale ahead of Eidul Azha.

Having natural beauty of long hair over the skin with an extraordinary height and carrying better weight, these goats are rarely seen in the plains of Punjab thus attracting the customers passing through the main GT Road between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Owing to their rearing in the cold hilly northern areas of Pakistan, these goats seemed exhausted due to hot and humid weather conditions of Punjab.

However, shepherds accompanying herds at the different locations in the Pabbi area between Kharian and Sara I Alamgir on Saturday afternoon told Dawn that the rare breed animals had been brought to Punjab just a week ahead of Eidul Azha by keeping in view the tough weather conditions.

Muneer, one of the shepherds, said the herds had been transported through trucks from the hilly areas of Gilgit-Baltistan to Rawalpindi from where various groups had started selling the goats around a couple of days ago.

He said there was a great response of the customers along GT Road between Lahore and Rawalpindi as he had some 100 goats and now he is left with only 40 to 45 animals for sale.

He said the customers could purchase these goats from anywhere along GT Road since different groups of shepherds were selling these animals while roaming along the national highway without stopping at any specific site.

Another shepherd said that these goats had been grown up in natural climate by having natural herbs and foods in the hilly areas due to which the quantity and taste of meat of these animals would be better than that of the goats that were grown in farms of Punjab.

He said the price of hilly goats was higher than that of the local goats.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020