During the three days of Eidul Azha, temporary meat stalls appeared throughout central Rawalpindi, especially along Jamia Masjid Road, Fawara Chowk, and Ganj Mandi Road. These stalls offered mutton and beef collected from local neighbourhoods and streets.
Interestingly, several families known for professional begging set up these stalls, selling mutton at Rs1,000 to Rs1,200 per kilogram and beef at Rs600 per kilogram, well below regular market rates, where mutton goes for around Rs2,400 and beef for Rs1,400 per kilogram.
The busiest areas for these sales were Jamia Masjid Road, Raja Bazaar, and Ganj Mandi Road, where men, women, and children, described as professional beggars, managed the pop-up meat shops.
Many middle-class customers were drawn in by the low prices, and small restaurants and dhabas bought large amounts. Street food vendors, especially kebab sellers, also made bulk purchases.
Besides meat, the vendors cleaned and sold animal heads and hooves. They transported everything using motorcycle rickshaws.
Because of the plentiful supply of sacrificial meat, most butcher shops in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are expected to stay closed for the next two weeks.