After the interim order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that cancelled the contract of the sacrificial animal market, the contractor has started moving his items out of the place. Under the court order, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will have to manage the market, but this has also placed the officials in a lurch as they do not have the expertise. “We will try our best but mismanagement can be expected,” said a CDA official. “This is a serious matter because people affiliated with allied services also come here.” A majority of customers at the sacrificial market come to buy cows/bulls or goats but a large number of camel sellers, mostly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have also arrived in Islamabad in the hope of getting a better bargain for their animals. As the Islamabad sacrificial animals market is set to pick pace from today (Sunday), not only the animal sellers but also people belonging to other services have given final tou ches to their businesses.

After arriving from Sahiwal, these farmers are bathing one of their best bulls.

Inayat will live in the market till ‘Chand Raat’ and prepare tea for the traders and customers in the coming days.

Two brothers from Tarnol have setup a generator-operated fodder chopper in the market. They sell chopped fodder at Rs300 per 40kg compared to the normal market rate of Rs200 per 40kg.

Not only the animals but traders too need to freshen up after a long journey from various parts of Punjab. Ghulam Hussain, a barber, has come from Faisalabad to fill this need. With only a bag, he moved around the market, shaving 20 clients on Saturday alone. He will live in the market for the next nine days and leave for his hometown the night before Eid.

After a bath and cleaning, all these animals would need decorations and other items to make them attractive for the buyers. Many people, including these slum dwellers, will make a living selling these decorative garlands.

THE CDA has decided to use its newly-acquired camera-fitted drone to keep a vigil on the expansive area where goats, sheep, cattle and camels are spread. Compared to the contractor, the civic body has limited number of manpower to manage the affairs at the animal market. — Photos by the writer

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2014