02 February 2004	Monday	10 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: The government has put police on high alert and barred the banned extremist outfits from collecting hides of sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha to prevent them from raising funds, officials said.

Several Islamic parties, jihadi outfits and charities used to collect thousands of hides, which were sold to leather traders and had been a good source of income to fund their operations.

Collection of hides also comes under fund-raising activity, that is why the government has restricted the banned outfits under the country's anti-terrorism law, an official requesting anonymity said.

Other organizations and charities will have to seek government permission for hides collection, he said. People usually donate hides to charities, mosques and seminaries after slaughtering goats, sheep, bulls and camels.

Lahore Mayor Amir Mehmood told AFP that no banned outfit would be allowed to collect hides. Karachi police chief Tariq Jamil told AFP: "No banned organisations, whether jihadi or welfare trust, would be allowed to collect hides.

Sarfraz Ahmed, spokesman for Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), told AFP in Karachi: "We earned millions of rupees from hides sales, which we spent on our welfare programme." The JUI has appealed to people to donate hides to madressahs (religious seminaries).

"Madressahs need funds and people should give hides to them," JUI spokesman Qari Usman said. Meanwhile, security in Islamabad has been beefed up ahead of Eid, a police spokesman said. "There is a high alert in Islamabad during Eid holidays," the spokesman told AFP. The measure was a precaution against any "untoward incident", he said.