HYDERABAD, Dec 2 Sale and arrival of sacrificial animals at the city's main cattle bazaar off National Highway remained low-key on Tuesday with prices of goats skyrocketing amid fears situation in Karachi may affect the sale either way.

With Eidul Azha just a week away the cattle bazaar is still devoid of its cacophony of wheedling among buyers and sellers. A visit to Hala Naka cattle market on Monday night and at 4pm Tuesday revealed that number of sacrificial animals at this time of the year was less number than it had been last year.

Only a handful of groups of goat sellers from interior and upper Sindh and Balochistan had brought their goats to the market.

Section for goats and cows in the market had been separated by ropes in the same premises, which was also used as terminal of buses leaving for up and down country.

Reports from Karachi suggest that buyers are not taking risk to go to the biggest cattle market of the country in the wake of violence going on in the city for last couple of days.

When sacrificial animals are sent in large number to Karachi from Hyderabad and interior Sindh the local animal sellers take advantage of the situation and start demanding exorbitant rates for not so healthy animals.

Bagri community people, who are known for breeding sacrificial goats to earn profit are demanding Rs25,000 to Rs20,000 for a healthy goat and they are not willing to cut their margin of profit at the moment.

“I thought that Karachi's present situation will prove a boon for buyers of sacrificial animals and they will purchase animals at reasonable price. But the situation is quite different with sellers demanding heavy price,” said a buyer in cattle market.

Buyers still hope that the situation will improve and after two or more days as herds of animals start arriving in the market from market. Some buyers have started visiting cattle markets of adjoining districts like Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Tando Mohammad Khan in search of cheaper animals.

The turnout of local animal sellers who mostly come from Latifabad, Phulelli, Hirabad and Hala Naka area is still low.

APOLOGY The sessions judge of Hyderabad accepted unconditional apology submitted by the SHO of B-section police station Afzal Qureshi on Tuesday after he failed to turn up in court a day ago despite receiving a notice.

The court had issued non-bailable warrants against the SHO after his failure to attend court in a case of wrongful confinement filed by Ms Nasreen for recovery of her husband Mir Mohammad Sangi.

Sangi was recovered after a raid conducted under court's directive on Saturday and the court had ordered the SHO to appear on Monday.

He reached the court late and told the judge that he was part of a team that was assisting authorities in getting possession of land in Rishi Ghat area.

The court admonished the police official and made him sit there for two hours.

He said that the detainee was sitting with him and eating food when the raid was conducted and filed a written unconditional apology for his failure to appear on time.

The court accepted the apology and allowed him to go with a warning that he would be under court's observation for 15 days.