KARACHI, Nov 16: After just a few days of compliance with the city government’s strongly pursued price list, meat merchants have reverted to their arbitrary raise in meat prices, charging Rs180 to 190 per kg for mutton and Rs90 per kg for beef (bachia).

The flare up has been attributed to shortage of animals in local markets and has prompted a strong warning from the city Nazim that the brokers responsible for ‘artificial shortage’ could be made to wind up their business.

The defiance by meat sellers has proved the city government’s entire two-week long offensive against profiteers virtual failure, as far as meat is concerned.

Customers on Saturday were seen indulging in arguments with meat sellers in many markets of the city. While the customers insisted on the prescribed prices, all their arguments seemed to be falling on deaf ears. Some customers were made to buy meat at higher prices while the others preferred not to buy the same as the city government has fixed the rate of beef (bachia) with bones at Rs80 per kg.

One of the outlets, crowded by women customers, in F B Area was scene of a heated exchange between the customers and the meat seller. As they tried to force the meat seller to comply with the government’s rate, he threatened to add a lot of fats (Charbi) if they did not pay an additional Rs10 per kg.

At many places, meat sellers seemed to have a free hand in absence of any official rate for boneless beef (bachia). They were charging Rs110 to 120 per kg for the meat.

Similarly, taking advantage of the city government’s not so much enthusiasm in the ongoing price-control drive after succeeding in forcing the meat merchants call off their strike, mutton sellers have also been charging Rs180 per kg for A-grade quality as against the fixed price of Rs150 per kg.

A city government official, when asked to comment on the situation, attributed the unexpected hike in mutton price to the shortage of goats in cattle markets of the city.

WARNING: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, taking exception of the ‘artificial shortage’ of animals in the city markets, has warned brokers, known as Aarhti, in this profession of appropriate action.

In a press release issued here on Sunday, he said that it was being felt in the wake of the recent strike by meat merchants that a shortage of animals was deliberate been created.

The brokers supplying animals, particularly goat, to small meat sellers bear the entire responsibility of the artificial shortage, the Nazim observed.

He reminded the brokers that they had been provided space in animal/cattle markets in the city with view to facilitate citizens with regard to the availability of animals at a reasonable price. The, brokers, he added, were supposed to serve people. However, if the brokers resorted to create trouble for them, the city government would have to take appropriate action.

Naimatullah Khan warned that if there was any move that hindered a smooth supply of animals to and from the markets, the responsibility would rest on the brokers. In such a situation, he added, the city government would have no other option but to cancel the allotment of space in the markets to the brokers.

The City Nazim also hinted at abrogating the broker system altogether if such problems continued to surface.

According to the release, the broker system has already been done away with in Lahore and the move had resulted in desirable convenience to the general public there.

The Nazim declared that his statement should be regarded as ‘final warning’ to the brokers who must refrain now from any further mischief-making.