KARACHI, Sept 23: While meat merchants have refused to sell meat on reduced rates, the city district government is asking them to bring down prices.

A pre-Ramazan meeting of meat merchants and the city government officials was held on Thursday to discuss the price issue, but the price regulators and meat merchants failed to reach a consensus on the issue.

Meat merchants out rightly rejected the demand of the city government officials that they should bring down prices to previous Ramazan level. They said that they would continue to sell meat at on the prevailing rates. However, they offered a voluntary cut of Rs 10 per kg in Ramazan in order to provide relief to common man.

General Secretary of the Meat Merchants Welfare Association Iqbal Qureishi said it was impossible for them to sell meat on last Ramazan's rates. Prices of mutton currently range between Rs 200 and 220 per kg, while beef (special) is being sold at Rs 100-120 per kg and Rs 140 per kg without bones and beef (normal) between Rs 90 and Rs 100 and Rs 120 for boneless meat.

EDO Enterprises and Investment Promotion Raisuddin Paracha said that the meat merchants have again come out with lame excuses, like shortage of livestock, caused by heavy smuggling of animals to Iran and Afghanistan besides export of meat.

He said that smuggling of livestock is impossible under tight security on borders. Besides, the government has also banned export of animals. He said that meat merchants have also threatened to close down their shops if they are pressured to reduce prices. He said the meat merchants stated that they would hold discussions with City Nazim on the price issue.

Mr Qureshi said that the association was ready to voluntary cut Rs 10 per kg on the current rates. He again claimed that smuggling of livestock to Iran and Afghanistan was still thriving, thus creating a shortage of livestock in the market.