KARACHI: The Sindh home ministry on Monday issued a code of conduct for collection of sacrificial hides on Eidul Azha according to which parties and organisations that collect the hides should get permit from the commissioner or deputy commissioner concerned.

Officials said the home ministry had stated that on Eidul Azha various political, religious and social welfare organisations or parties collect the hides of sacrificial animals.

“It becomes a matter of competition among the organisations and parties which creates law and order problems for the provincial government,” said a notification of the home ministry.

“Keeping in view this situation the government has decided that for collection of hides, approval from the concerned commissioner or deputy commissioner is required.”

Door to door collection of hides disallowed

It said only those parties, organisations, welfare bodies and religious institutions would be allowed to collect sacrificial skins which were duly registered and their heads had signed the code of conduct and abide by the rules and regulations of the code.

“No [one] else is allowed to install camps for the collection of skins or hides. Use of loudspeakers, writing or chanting of slogans and announcement from masajid or offices of any political parties and organisations will not be allowed.”

Besides, the notification said posters and banners used for collection of hides were also prohibited.

“No one will be allowed to collect the hides door to door. However, every individual is allowed to donate the hides as per one’s own will wherever and to whom he thinks eligible to get the skins.”

It said every individual should himself carry the hide of his sacrificial animal to whom he wanted to donate.

However, representatives of all organisations who would collect the hides would be required to keep with themselves CNICs, identity card of the organisation they belong to and authority letter from the commissioner or deputy commissioner when they transport the hides from one place to another.

“In case of non compliance, the law enforcement personnel are authorised to forfeit the hides individuals carry. Every organisation or seminary will submit before time the complete plan of transportation of skins so that security may be provided to their vehicles used for carrying the hides.”

Ban on licensed arms

The home ministry said all types of weapons, batons, and steel bars were banned for the three days of Eidul Azha.

“The ban will also be extended upon licensed arms.”

For compliance of the ban, it added, the law enforcement agencies would check motorcycles or cars at different places; and every organisation was required to inform their workers to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies.

“Unauthorised collection of skins or non compliance of code of conduct will result in action as per law against the organisation or their workers and the skins will be forfeited. Every applicant is required to obtain security clearance from the concerned law enforcement organisation for collection of hides,” it said.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2019