For many decades Tando Ghulam Ali, a small town in the Badin District, has hosted one of the largest donkey markets of the country where both buyers and sellers of this animal throng in thousands annually on the 10th Muharram.
The festival continued for three days, in which three thousand donkeys of different breed from across the country were present.
Since decades, the donkey market has been organised on a small scale in Badin after official patronage was granted in 2004, when the then district government of Badin authorised the Taluka Council Matli to allocate the land and imposition of taxes to organise the market.
This event is now overlooked by the residents who receive the taxes both from buyers and sellers of the animals.
The donkey market, which is organised like a festival, holds donkey races and other sports activities besides setting up food and ornamental items stalls.
The prices of the donkeys ranged from Rs 25,000 to Rs 500,000 this year with a donkey named "Toofan" being the major attraction.
The owner of the donkey refused a buyer who was offering Rs 1 million and insisted to sell the animal at Rs 1.2 million.
