ANOTHER Eidul Azha went past without the civic authorities paying any attention to the increasingly common practice of keeping sacrificial animals in the open in various neighbourhoods.

This practice is tolerated and allowed by even the seemingly strict bodies, like the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), let alone other civic agencies elsewhere in the city, on the grounds that it is an ‘unavoidable’ part of a religious ritual and therefore cannot be stopped.

I beg to differ and would like to point out that keeping animals by the roadside in the open or inside tents is not allowed in any other Muslim country.

The practice is merely a form of encroachment on the public’s right of way, causes inconvenience and obstruction, and creates a health hazard as well. At the same time, it is extremely unpleasant for both residents and passers-by.

The agencies concerned are requested to ensure that animals are kept within the owner’s property, the ritual is done entirely off the road, and blood and offal are disposed of properly and efficiently. The next Eid is just a year away, mind you!

Mukhtar Husain Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2022