ISLAMABAD: As Islamabad’s butchers grapple with the absence of an abattoir, the Capital Development Authority wants to take control of a slaughterhouse being operated by the Rawalpindi Development Authority in the capital’s Humak area to facilitate butchers in the federal capital.

According to sources in the engineering wing of the civic agency, the CDA on July 2 requested the Rawalpindi commissioner for the possession of the said slaughterhouse in Humak.

They added that in Jan this year, the then-Pindi commissioner had agreed to hand over the facility. However, it is yet to be seen if the current administration of the garrison city agrees to the decision.

“It is recalled the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Meat Board meeting was held on 25-01-2024 (Jan 25) at CDA headquarters under the chairmanship of the CDA chairman. During the meeting, it was unanimously decided that the management/ownership of the slaughterhouse would be handed over to CDA. The meeting was also attended by then-commissioner Rawalpindi Division and minutes of the meeting were circulated on 29-01-2024 (Jan 29),” read the letter.

Butcher association pushes for swift completion of I-11 abattoir

The July 2 letter stated that the matter of setting up a slaughterhouse in Sector I-11 was in the Islamabad High Court and the court had directed the CDA “to rehabilitate/construct the existing slaughterhouse. The next date of hearing is on July 7, in which a report has been submitted by CDA regarding rehabilitation/construction of existing slaughterhouse,” read the letter.

“It is therefore, requested that as decided the premises of the existing slaughterhouse building may please be handed over to CDA in order to start the rehabilitation/construction process, enabling to comply with the court orders as well,” read the letter.

It is relevant to note that although the said slaughterhouse falls within the limit of Islamabad it is the property of the Rawalpindi administration, while there is no slaughterhouse facility exclusively for butchers of Islamabad. For the past two decades, the CDA has failed to take any practical steps for the slaughterhouse.

It may be noted that the CDA had allotted a plot for this project in Sector H-9, which was later cancelled and a new plot was allotted in Sector I-9 but that too was cancelled.

Later, another plot was allotted which too was cancelled.

Eventually, the CDA allotted a plot in Sector 1-11/4 for a slaughterhouse and Nespak was also hired some years ago as the project consultant. The proposed slaughterhouse will have the capacity to slaughter 2,000 goats and 800 cows per day, with a freezing room, cold storage, deboning area, packing room, dispatch area, area for keeping animals, inspection portion, administrative rooms, parking, a tube well, and waste treatment areas.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency has raised objections to this project in Sector I-11, whereas, the All-Pakistan Jamiatul Quresh Meat Welfare Association has also filed a case against the CDA for the early launching of the slaughterhouse.

Speaking to Dawn, its president Khurshid Qureshi said that Humak slaughterhouse is not ideal for the butchers of Islamabad.

He alleged that CDA had been using delaying tactics to avoid construction of the slaughterhouse. “In case, the Rawalpindi administration hands over the control of the Humak slaughterhouse to the CDA, we will still not go there due to the distance,” he said, adding that they would keep struggling for the new facility in I-11.

Asked about the objection of the environmental body, he said: “We have filed an appeal against the EPA in the tribunal and we are hopeful we will get a favourable decision.”

On the other hand, in the absence of a slaughterhouse in Islamabad, butchers have been slaughtering animals at their houses or in open spaces without any certification.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2024