BAJAUR: The butchers have increased the prices of beef and mutton by a huge margin since the start of Ramazan, refusing to follow the official rates, Dawn learnt on Monday.

Residents of Khar, Sadiqabad, Inayat Kallay, Laghari, Ragagan and Pashat areas told Dawn on Monday that the butchers had made a significant increase in the price of beef and mutton.

“Though the administration had fixed the price of beef at Rs550 per kilogram and mutton at Rs1,100 per kg prior to Ramazan, the butchers are selling beef at Rs750 and mutton at Rs2,200 per kg,” said Ihsanulh, a resident of Khar town.

The residents said the official price list of edibles had been fixed by the district administration in consultation with traders’ bodies a few days before Ramazan.

“Beef was available for Rs700 per kg and mutton Rs1,800 per kg a day before Ramazan, but their prices have been jacked up to Rs750 and Rs2,200 per kg, thus flouting the official price list,” Haji Akbar Jan of Sadiqabad town said.

However, the butchers insisted they could not follow the officially-fixed prices of beef and mutton due to hike in rates of cattle.

Meanwhile, an official of the district administration said the official price list of edible items would be enforced in letter and spirit. He said stern action would be taken against the butchers flouting the official rate.

LAID TO REST: A man, who had died in a boat sink incident in Italy in February, was laid to rest in his native Larkholozo area of Mamond tehsil on Monday.

Rahimullah, 40, was among 59 migrants, drowned after their overloaded boat sank in a stormy sea off Italy’s southern Calabria region on February 26.

His funeral prayers were attended by a large number of people from different walks of life.

The deceased left behind a wife and three children.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2023