LAHORE:
As Eidul Azha approaches, complaints of overcharging and extortion at Lahore’s livestock markets have increased, with citizens and livestock traders saying they have been left at the mercy of contractors operating with impunity.
From Shahpur Kanjran – Punjab’s largest permanent livestock market – to temporary outlets set up across the city, buyers and traders say illegal taxes have reached unprecedented levels, adding to the financial burden on families already grappling with inflation and soaring prices of sacrificial animals.
Citizens visiting designated markets say the Punjab government’s ban on roadside animal sales inside the city has effectively forced buyers into controlled livestock markets where, they say, entrepreneurs and their agents extract money without fear of accountability.
According to buyers and traders, visitors who leave the markets after purchasing sacrificial animals would be forced to pay unofficial fees ranging from 500 to 700 rupees for goats and sheep, 1,000 to 1,200 rupees for bulls and buffaloes and up to 2,000 rupees for camels.
Several residents said groups of men stationed at market exits stopped shippers and even private vehicles transporting sacrificial animals, demanding money before allowing them to leave the markets.
“We came to this market only because the government banned the sale of sacrificial animals inside the city,” said Muhammad Faizan at the Shahpur Kanjran market.
“After spending huge amounts of money on animals, we are being cheated again as we leave the market. No officials are available to respond to public complaints,” he added.
Another resident accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to the situation. “It’s as if the government has awarded contracts to these people to defraud citizens,” said Ahmad Raza, a citizen leaving the Saggian livestock market after purchasing an animal. “Earlier, traders and farmers who brought their animals to markets were charged exorbitant prices. Today, ordinary citizens are also being looted. Such open extortion cannot take place without the connivance of the authorities.”
On the other hand, the district administration and provincial authorities have intensified their actions against illegal sale of livestock on the roadside and against citizens who keep sacrificial animals outside their homes.
As authorities continued the crackdown in Lahore, residents complained that enforcement teams targeted ordinary families rather than tackling excessive prices at official livestock markets.
Livestock traders have also raised concerns about excessive fees at markets, saying unofficial payments increase operational costs.
Traders alleged that despite the officially approved entry fee of Rs200 for small and Rs500 for large animals, many sellers are being charged higher amounts.
Additional payments would also be levied for fodder, straw and animal feed.
“Animals were already expensive due to rising transport and feed costs,” said a trader from south Punjab. “These illegal fees have driven prices even higher for the public.”
