RAWALPINDI, Feb 14: As local butchers violate official price lists and overcharge for red meat, Rawalpindi residents accuse the government of ignoring their problems.

The City District Government Rawalpindi has over one dozen price magistrates. In January, they had set official prices for mutton at Rs460 per kg, and beef at Rs250 per kg. On Thursday, however, the butchers were charging up to Rs600 per kg for mutton and Rs380 per kg for beef.

Although Assistant Commissioner Fahad Waqar Azeem claimed that CDGR officials were checking on violations of the price list and imposing fines on butchers, residents were not convinced.

Sheikh Nawaz, a resident of Nayya Mohallah, claimed that the government was ignoring an issue that was particularly difficult for people already suffering from inflation and higher utility bills. "Is the government trying to kill us with these unjustified price hikes?" he asked.

In Dhoke Hassu, Nasir Rasul said the price hike had exposed the "hollowness" of the government's promises to stabilise the economy. "It's completely unjustified," he said, suggesting that food prices in neighbouring countries were lower than in Pakistan.

Khurshid Ahmed Qureshi, President of the All-Pakistan Jamiatul Quresh Meat Welfare Association, disagreed. He claimed that meat prices were much higher, over Rs1,000 per kg in Afghanistan and Iran, leading dealers to transport their animals to those countries. This livestock smuggling has in fact increased - in the past, it was limited to Afghanistan, and has only recently spread to Iran.

Unrest in KP has also had an impact, as butchers now have only Punjab as a source for animals. The supply available has therefore fallen sharply, he said, and prices have gone up. "The total number of animals butchered here each day has fallen from 7000 to 3500," he claimed, adding that some butchers were having trouble maintaining their business.

Whether the price has gone up because of lower supply, or because of the CDGR's failure to enforce its regulations, the increase has had a marked impact on consumers.

Rafique Ahmad, from Tench Bhatta, said he was not able to buy meat at all over the last two months. "All winter long, I've only been able to buy chicken feet," he said.