KHYBER: The demand for sheep has significantly decreased here ahead of Eidul Azha due to high prices in cattle markets.

Most residents prefer the shared slaughtering of cows, buffaloes, and oxen instead.

Livestock dealers attribute the surge in sheep prices to an unofficial ban on imports from Afghanistan in the last five to six years, making quality sheep unaffordable for most buyers.

Haji Dadeen, a sheep dealer, told Dawn that almost half of the residents had decided to pool money for the shared slaughtering of buffaloes or oxen due to the affordability issue.

Khyber residents prefer shared slaughtering of cows, buffaloes

He said a healthy sheep cost from Rs40,000 to Rs100,000, which many residents couldn’t afford.

Lal Bahadar, another livestock dealer, claimed that in the recent past, almost 90 per cent of Khyber residents used to slaughter sheep on Eid but the trend had significantly changed.

“This year, almost 50 percent of the people are buying buffaloes, or other animals instead of sheep,” he said.

Meanwhile, cattle market dealers have complained about a lack of official assistance in the establishment of those privately-managed temporary places.

They said neither the district administration nor the tehsil municipal authority offered any help in the establishment of cattle markets.

The sellers also complained that the livestock department hadn’t taken any measures to prevent the spread of Congo fever and lumpy skin diseases in cattle markets.

The visitors also resented the lack of facilities at cattle markets and said sacrificial animals weren’t disinfected.

HEROIN SEIZED: Police in Jamrud area on Thursday recovered 67 kilogrammes of heroin from a truck, marking the second-largest bust in the last one year as part of the anti-narcotics campaign in Khyber tribal district.

The heroin dispatched from Quetta was to be delivered in the Shah Kas area, according to a statement issued by the office of the DPO.

It said the Quetta police had been contacted for the arrest of the heroin sender before handover to the Khyber police.

“Only a few months ago, Khyber district was considered as a heroin supply point for the rest of the country and the world, but now, our action has forced smugglers to get heroin from other provinces,” the statement added.

In January 2024, the Khyber police seized 72kg of heroin in the Kharkiabad area of Jamrud, the biggest haul since the launch of an anti-narcotics campaign months ago, according to police.

They said they were committed to eradicating narcotics from the region.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2024