MANSEHRA/SWABI: Cattle dealers in Mansehra and Swabi have been warned to avoid selling sacrificial animals outside the designated cattle markets. The administration in both the districts has issued clear directives that no private cattle market would be allowed to function in order to contain spread of coronavirus.

In Mansehra, the district administration relocated all cattle markets being run privately at various places in the city and its suburbs to sell sacrificial animals to the official market established outside the city here on Saturday.

A joint team of police and officials of the administration led by assistant commissioner Tillat Fahad conducted the operation in this regard.

“We have shifted all private cattle markets established in the city and its suburbs to the main cattle market set up by the tehsil municipal administration,” said Ms Fahad.

She said that those running private cattle markets were also warned of strict legal action if they established them again.

Move meant to stop spread of coronavirus

“We have been following standard operating procedures at the TMA cattle market,” she said.

In Swabi, the district administration warned cattle dealers that no unauthorised cattle fair would be allowed in the district and the people should buy sacrificial animals from the designated markets where precautionary measures against coronavirus had been observed.

Official sources told this correspondent on Saturday that in order to tackle the coronavirus emergency the district administration had selected 12 venues for sale of sacrificial animals in the district.

Swabi deputy commissioner Shahid Mehmood and TMA officials visited the selected venues and inspected the precautionary measures. The selected venues include Tordher, Karnal Sher Khan Kallay, Yar Hussain, Armol Dheri, Doubian, Gohati, Jalbai, Lahor East, Manki, Swabi Khas, Topi and Shahmansoor.

When contacted, the officials said that street cattle fairs for sale and purchase of sacrificial animals would not be allowed so as to control coronavirus.

In the past, the dealers would establish sale points near the streets a few days ahead of Eidul Azha, but this time herds of animals and gatherings were not allowed near populated areas to protect the residents from coronavirus.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2020