Meat of ill, dead animals being sold in markets

[LahoreEstate]

* Wholesalers, hotel owners buy unhygienic beef for Rs 60-70 per kg
* City administration, slaughterhouse in-charge say steps are being taken to stop ‘Laap’ sale
* Butchers’ leader says meat price can go up to Rs 400 a kg

By Atif Khan

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Beef and meat of ill and dead animals is being sold in markets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, putting a large question mark on performance of the authorities concerned and risking health of the consumers.

A Daily Times investigation found that beef of unhealthy or dead animals is locally called ‘Laap’ and is sold to wholesalers for Rs 60-70 a kg. Sabzi Mandi, Raja Bazar, Shah Nazar Bridge and Jama Masjid Road are notorious sale points for such beef in Rawalpindi.

Hotel owners and beef sellers are the main buyers of this highly unhygienic product. Rawalpindi city administration sources said this unhygienic beef and meat came to the city in plenty because of its increasing consumption.

They said some Laap sellers had recently been caught and jailed. They said steps were being taken to stop Laap sale but desired results had not been achieved because of shortage of staff.

They suggested that private slaughterhouses be banned and the government slaughterhouse take extra care for quality of meat.

Slaughterhouse lacks capacity: There is only one slaughterhouse in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for beef, where almost 150-200 animals were slaughtered daily. There is no government facility for slaughter of lambs, goats and sheep.

Tariq Mehmood, Sihala Slaughterhouse in-charge, told Daily Times that around 200 animals were slaughtered daily in the slaughterhouse. He said over 500 animals were needed daily only for Rawalpindi without explaining from where this gap in slaughterhouse capacity and city demand was filled.

He said the government was taking measures to curb the sale of unhealthy meat.

Excessive export, smuggling: Bilal Ahmed, a representative of the Wholesale Beef Merchant Association, said excessive export and smuggling of meat to neighbouring countries had created an acute shortage of meat in twin cities.

To cope with this shortage, he said meat came to the twin cities from nearby districts. Asked why beef was sold for Rs 60-70 a kg at some places when its official price was Rs 150 a kg, he admitted that a ‘minor quantity’ of unhygienic meat and beef was being sold in the city.

He blamed police for that, saying they left the butchers to sell Laap after taking bribe.

Increase in meat price imminent: All Pakistan Jamiat-ul-Quresh/Meat Welfare Association President Khurshid Ahmed Qureshi warned the government that meat price could go up to Rs 400 a kg if its export and smuggling was not stopped.

Qureshi said export of meat and beef would take its effect on the country’s fast depleting livestock resources.

“Twenty-two livestock markets and farms in tribal areas have been shut down due to law and order situation. Animals are smuggled to Afghanistan in bulk and squandering of meat in parties has led to shortage of livestock in the country,” he said. He said he was aware of sale of Laap in the twin cities but refused to comment on the topic any more.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_2