RAWALPINDI: All main roads and streets in Rawalpindi have turned into makeshift cattle markets, creating traffic congestion and sanitation issues thanks to the inability of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) and the Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) to stop the animal dealers from entering the city areas.

Traffic gridlocks were witnessed on Adiala Road, Chaudhry Bostan Khan Road, Chungi No 22, Dhamial, Bakery Chowk, Kohinoor Mill Stop, Raja Bazaar, Satellite Town, Saidpur Road, Khyaban-i-Sir Syed, Ghazni Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Banni Chowk, Dhoke Hassu, Pirwadhai and Glass Factory. Motorists remained stuck in the traffic mess for more than three hours.

The CDGR has imposed a ban on setting up of makeshift cattle markets in the city areas and allocated three points in and around the city for the dealers to sell their sacrificial animals there.

City managers fail to stop cattle dealers from selling sacrificial animals in city areas

The Rawal Town Municipal Administration has allocated a space outside a slaughterhouse near the railway station for establishment of a temporary cattle market while Potohar Town Municipal Administration provided space at Rinial and Channi Sher Alam near Rawat. Similarly, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) allocated space at Dhoke Gujran near Misrial Road.

But for many weeks, the local administration officials remained busy in attending meetings related to controlling sit-ins in Islamabad, ignoring civic issues.  

A senior official of the CDGR told Dawn that the local administration had established nine camps at the entry points of the city but the Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) failed to stop cattle dealers from establishing pens in the city areas.

He said the officials were busy in anti-dengue meetings on a daily basis and could not focus on other issues. He alleged that the anti-encroachment staff gave a free hand to cattle owners after taking bribes from them.

The Rawal and Potohar towns are not interested in cattle markets as the Punjab government stopped them from auctioning cattle markets in 2008.

He said in the past the towns earned Rs7 million to Rs8 million by awarding contract for establishing a cattle market during Eid days.

For this reason, the town administrations ignored the establishment of free cattle selling points and avoided spending funds on the provision of facilities to the animal buyers and sellers.

When contacted, Rawal Town Officer (regulation) Tauseef Malik said they were working day and night.

“For Eid days, the citizens have to be facilitated to get animals near their residential areas,” he said.

Replying to a question, he admitted that there was a ban on establishment of makeshift cattle markets in the residential areas and main roads.

He said the RTMA’s request to the police to deploy personnel at the entry points of the areas was turned down.

On the other hand, citizens faced problems to travel on main roads in the city and cantonment areas.

“I remained stuck in the traffic jam on Adiala Road due to rush of people at the makeshift cattle markets near Khawaja Corporation bus stop and the Shell petrol stations. The Chaklala Cantonment Board officials allowed the cattle dealers to set up the makeshift markets there after taking bribe from them,” alleged Mohammad Raza, a resident of Adiala Road.

Sajid Qureshi, a motorist on Ghazni Road, said he took over two hours to reach Pirwadhai from Dingi Khoi due to the traffic jams at Bagh Sardaran.

He said the cattle markets should not be established on main roads and streets. He said the administration and traffic police were equally responsible for the mess on the roads.

PTI district president Arif Abbasi told Dawn that the local administration was busy in detaining the PTI supporters and workers to stop them from reaching sit-ins in Islamabad and ignored the affairs of the city.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2014