SWABI, March 3: Most butchers in the district are selling stale and poor quality meat of sick animals, posing a serious hazard to people's health.

Sources told Dawn that officials of various departments and influential people were getting good quality meat from butchers. But the butchers have been given a free hand to play with the life of the common man by selling them unhygienic and stale meat. They said that if any butcher failed to provide government officials and influential people the type of meat they wanted then it became difficult for him to run his business.

Slaughtering of unhealthy and sick cattle is a common practice in the district. Besides, veterinary doctors, it is said, are also in league with butchers. A number of people complained that kebab-makers usually cooperated in the slaughtering of sick camels and were using its meat for making kebabs.

Flies are commonly seen sitting over the meat at most butchers' shops, while crows also are seen hovering around. The majority of the shops are situated near drains which spreads an obnoxious smell in the entire area. Mosquitoes too spread in the area because of the drains and overflowing sewage.

A butcher' shop, situated near the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company, sold the same meat which a stray dog had been nibbling at earlier. However, the only reason why the butcher got away with it was that none of his customers were aware about the incident.

The people residing in the localities of Swabi Tordher, Anbar, Topi, Charbagh, Yar Hussain, Tehsil Chotta Lahore Gadoon belt, Salim Khan and Gohati complained that the butchers were selling them stale meat, which was causing a number of diseases.

Many people said that whenever they complained to the food officials concerned about the issue they pushed it under the carpet saying that action would be soon taken against the butchers. However, nothing ever was done about it. They also complained that the butchers were also violating the price list by selling meat at exorbitant rates, and added that this had been going on since long.

They said that it was pathetic that neither the food inspectors concerned nor the district municipal administration took any action regarding it. The commoners were helpless to do anything against the butchers as the latter were being supported by influential people.