ISLAMABAD, July 29: The residents of the twin cities are experiencing shortage of beef and mutton due to record smuggling of meat to Afghanistan and some Middle East countries.

Well-informed sources told Dawn on Monday that the availability of meat in the twin cities had reduced by 50 per cent.

Before the start of the crisis, some 6,000 goats or sheep, 3,000 cows and 1,500 calves were slaughtered every day, however, at present, this number has reduced to 4,000, 1,500 and 800 per day, respectively.

“We have sent letters to President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider to stop smuggling of meat,” Jamiatul Quresh Islamabad (JQI) president Khursheed Qureshi told Dawn.

He said mutton was being smuggled to Afghanistan and some Middle East counties at Rs280 per kg. However, in the local market, it is being sold from Rs130 to Rs150.

If the smuggling is not stopped, the rates of mutton and beef will go up to Rs250 per kg and Rs150 per kg, respectively, in the local markets, Mr Qureshi feared.

According to the sources, some 14 people were also exporting meat to the Middle East countries with the permission of the Ministry of Food and Live Stock.

“If smuggling and export of mutton and beef is not stopped, the shortage of meat will increase to alarming proportions in the market after three months,” the source said.

The QJI president said the government should impose complete ban on export of meat, unless sufficient farms of livestock animals were established in the country.

“Iran has already imposed ban on export of meat to cater to the requirement of its own people,” he added.

He said the prices of mutton and beef had gone up by Rs15 in the twin cities after a span of six years. “This is because of shortage of meat,” he added.

The sources said beef was being smuggled to Afghanistan for the US armed forces, via Peshawar, Landi Kotal and other bordering areas.

The JQI leader said those who were involved in smuggling, paid more money to buy animals, thus local butchers could not compete them, resulting in shortage of meat.

“If this trend is not checked, some 1.5 million people associated with the business of meat will become unemployed,” he said.

Nazir, a butcher, who works at Karachi Company Market, said he used to sell meat of five cows daily before the crisis. However, at present, his sale has come down to two cows.

He said half of his permanent customers had to return empty handed daily due to shortage of meat.

Following the crisis, beef is being sold at Rs85 to Rs95 per kg and mutton is available at Rs125 to Rs135 per kg.

Some of the butchers are selling unhygienic and un-stamped meat in the capital’s markets and the authority concerned is not taking any steps to check this practice, some citizens complained.

Responding to a question, the QJI office bearer said: “As smugglers and exporters pick healthy animals from the market, local butchers are compelled to sell the meat of weak and ill animals.”