LAHORE, Dec 20: Allama Iqbal Town Municipal Officer Imtiaz Awan has rejected the demand of meat wholesalers to resume business at the Kot Kamboh slaughterhouse and advised them to approach District Coordination Officer Khalid Sultan for this purpose.

The wholesalers contacted the TMO and sought permission for resuming business, claiming that it would be easy for them to determine the retail prices on the basis of wholesale rates.

They said the wholesalers facilitated retailers by supplying them ready-for-sale meat and saved them from the trouble of disposal of heads, feet and offal of the slaughtered animals.

The TMO informed them that the ban had been imposed on the wholesale selling of meat because the wholesalers added their profit to the retail prices unnecessarily. The retail prices could be reduced in case the butchers slaughtered the animals themselves after purchasing those from the cattle market.

A team, led by the TMO, imposed fines totalling Rs32,000 on butchers selling unstamped and unhealthy meat, during raids at Manga, Chuhng, Thokar Niazbeg and Awan Town.