LAYYAH: The butchers of Layyah City observed a strike followed by a sit-in at the District Press Club on Thursday in protest at, what they say, unjustified action against them by the executive district officer (EDO) of agriculture.

Up to 70 butchers sell mutton and beef in the Layyah city. After public complaints about the poor quality of meat, District Coordination Officer Rana Gulzar Ahmad in a meeting with meat sellers decided that no under-age animal would be slaughtered under the Animal Slaughter Control Act of 1963.

The district livestock officer also warned the butchers not to slaughter under-age, malnourished and diseased animals.

Abdul Razzaq, butchers leader, told Dawn they were protesting at the highhandedness of the EDO (agriculture) who raided the slaughterhouse and shops and penalised them with heavy fines. In several cases, the official did not visit the shops but fined the shopkeepers.

He said meat seller Ghulam Mustafa and Shafquat paid a Rs800 fine each for the price lists were not placed at appropriate place in their shops.

Razzaq said they could not afford to sell beef for Rs250 per kilo as ordered by the district administration. He said the price should be Rs280 per kg.

EDO Zafarullah Sindho said he had visited the slaughterhouse on Sunday but the butchers were protesting four days after his visit.

He said his action against the butchers selling underage animals had offended them.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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