CHAKWAL: Four days have passed but the rush of people at the house of Chaudhry Fazal Abbas in Thoha Humayun, a sleepy hamlet, continues.

They come to offer condolence, not on the passing away of a family member but on the sudden death of Chaand, the famous bull owned by Mr Abbas.

Chaand was the most famous bull of Karah, a cultural sport of Chakwal region, in which bulls in pairs compete. They are judged by their gait, physical beauty and strength as they walk through a tilled field with load of soil.

On March 14, two unknown men came on a motorbike and opened fire on the bull, leaving it badly injured from the leg.

“The leg was so badly injured that it could not recover,” a heartbroken Abbas told Dawn. Having left with no other option, Mr Abbas had to slaughter the prized bull.

As the incident went viral on social media, it generated strong condemnation, leaving the fans of Chaand shocked.

“Today the culture of Dhan (the name of Chakwal region) fell apart. The attacker did not think before spraying bullets that thousands of spectators wait for the turn of that poor animal,” Karah News, a Facebook page, reacted.

The incident has become talk of the town as in every village men and even women are discussing it with anger and regret as it not only took a heavy toll on the cultural sport of Chakwal but also emerged as a brutality perpetrated to an animal.

The Kallar Kahar police have registered a case against the two attackers but could not trace them.

Mr Abbas, a retired schoolteacher, bought the bull in March 2014 at a price of Rs190,000. Few days ago he was offered Rs3.5million. “I refused to sell Chaand because he was my passion and my love,” said Mr Abbas.

After buying Chaand, Mr Abbas had bought another bull from Mastala village in Gujar Khan as a companion of Chaand. He named it “Suraj”.

Mr Abbas raised his pair with utmost passion. He used to give milk, eggs and other food items to his bulls. Soon the pair of Chaand and Suraj became household names in rural areas of Chakwal and adjacent districts.

“When during a Karah in Feb 2018 in Murid village, Chaand and Suraj left the spectators enthralled through their performances many wealthy people came to me asking me to sell the pair. I was even offered Rs10m for my pair but I simply refused,” Mr Abbas told Dawn.

“Before keeping bulls only few people knew me outside my village but these bulls made me famous not only across the Chakwal but in adjacent districts too,” he added.

Mr Abbas said he had not enmity with anyone. “But yes people have jealousy,” he added.

Chaand and Suraj were all set to take part in a Karah which is supposed to be held in Odherwal village on March 20.

Investigation officer Javed Iqbal said he was trying his best to trace the accused. “As the accused are unknown that’s why it would take certain time to trace them,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2019