PESHAWAR, Feb 7: The city district government has banned the transportation of all kinds of cattle to Afghanistan with a view to controlling the prices of sacrificial animals in local markets before Eidul Azha.

The district government on Friday imposed section 144, banning cattle transportation from the city for seven days, according to an official notification issued here on Friday. The government warned that any person found violating this order will be booked under Section 188 CrPC.

But, before the notification a large number of cattle have already been transported to Afghanistan, which caused sharp rise in the prices of sacrificial animals before Eidul Azha.

The prices of lamb, sheep and goat have registered an increase of Rs800 to Rs2000 according to their size and weight as compared to the previous year.

The prices of cow, buffalo and camel have also increased from Rs2500 to Rs5000 in the cattle markets established in various locations in and around the city.

“It is for the first time that sacrificial animals are being exported to Afghanistan and the reason is repatriation of the refugees from several countries,” Abdul Waheed, who has a stock of more than 100 sheep at the pen near the Shama Cinema on Pajaggi Road, told Dawn here on Friday.

He said this year lamb, sheep and goats were also being sent to Balochistan, where a demand had been arisen due to the shortage of sacrificial animals there. “The long drought is the main reason of this shortage in Balochistan,” he maintained.

About the exorbitant prices, Waheed said that previously sheep, lambs and goats used to come from Afghanistan. But the situation had changed from last year.

Another herdsman, Ghafoor, who was carrying a pair of bulky and decorated sheep on Bach Khan Square, said that he would not sell them less than Rs25,000. “And if somebody wants one of them, I will sell him one for Rs14000,” he added.

He said that these were Hashtnagri sheep, and those who know the good taste of their meat, would certainly buy them.

“Afghans are good customers here and I hope I will get the price for the sheep pair within two days,” he added.

A buyer Yahya Khan said that he was searching in the makeshift cattle market near Shama Cinema for a proper sacrificial animal for the last two hours, but he failed to find the required one. “I may not buy sheep this year due to high prices and will now prefer to share in a cow for Eidul Azha,” he asserted.