PESHAWAR: The sale of sacrificial animals, spices, knives and barbeque items reached its peak on Saturday, one day ahead of the Eidul-Azha.

In Peshawar, the animals markets were set up at around 20 places where people brought their cattle and remained busy in bargaining for earning as much as they could, but the buyers also had very open options to select animals of their choice and within their purchase power.

Not only men but children and women were also seen taking keen interest in the selection of sacrificial animals.

At the cattle market of Ring Road, the contractor increased the exit fee of per animal from Rs700 to Rs800 this year. The collector of the fee, posted at the main gate of the market, said that Rs 100 was increased every year while the entry fee was Rs30.

Everyone had to pay the exit fee before leaving the market as the stick wielding workers of the contractor were fully alert to draw the rope tied to neck of animal.

However, at another cattle market, also set up on Ring Road near Patang Chowk, there was no fee and the area was also vast to move with some ease.

Although the administration had banned setting up of private cattle markets near the main population yet the government’s decision could not be implemented and cattle markets were established near all the main localities both in the urban and rural areas of the district with no check from the authorities concerned.

Similarly, huge rush was observed at the shops of spices, knives, coal and other barbeque items in every bazaar of the Cantonment and City areas where people preferred to purchase the spices prepared on special order while many opted to buy packed spices of various brands.

“We will celebrate Eid as per announcement of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and will sacrifice our animal on Monday,” said Rasheed Khan, a resident of Peshawar, who was buying spices at a shop in Naothia Bazaar.

He said that maximum of the people were likely to celebrate Eid on Sunday but his family had observed fasting with central government and they had to follow Mufti Munibur Rehman, the head of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

The people buying and sharpening knives complained that blacksmiths had increased the charges manifold and they had no other option but to pay whatever price was demanded.

“We are charging Rs40 for sharpening a knife, cleaver and axe because the power tariff has also been increased manifold,” Khan Mohammad, a blacksmith at Nauthia Bazaar, said. He added that charges were increased only by Rs10 as compared to that of previous year.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2014