Housewives all across Lahore and its environs are feeling elated and somewhat at ease these days to have a perfect condiment of dry fruits to serve to family and guests along with Eidul Azha meals that mostly consist of meat dishes.

Dry fruits are also a favourite for serving with tea in the evening or mid-afternoon get-togethers. This feeling of ease has only been made possible this year with abundance of dry fruits in local market at less than half the price as compared to last year.

The market is full of best export quality pine nuts commonly known as Chilghoza, dried figs, dried dates, dried apricots and peanuts.

Once, fresh stocks of dry fruits were mainly available at the upscale markets of Lahore like Beadon Road, Liberty Market and Model Town Link Road besides wholesale markets at Do Moria Pul, Akbari Mandi and Fruit Mandi near Delhi Gate. Nowadays, hawkers and street vendors carry chilghoza and dried figs on pushcarts and hand held baskets in almost every mohallah of the city. They even throng Sunday bazaars and Anarkali, Bhaati, Lohari, Ichhra bazaars selling dry fruits at much affordable prices.

Lahorites, known to be lovers of good food, are reaping a bonanza of dry fruits this year and are consuming it in large quantities and loving it.

It is once in seven to eight years that dry fruits and that too of best quality, are available. Buying chilghoza and dried figs at a famous supermarket at Model Town Link Road, a housewife Afshan Sheikh said she cannot believe that prices of the same have declined so much.

These things had become high-priced delicacies over the past decade but now middle class people can purchase and savour them since they are available at low prices.

Another customer Hina Jamil said, "I don't know how long these items will remain available at affordable prices but let's get loads of the stuff to be served in winter evenings and to complement all meat dishes this Eid."

The reason behind this dry fruit glut is that there was a bumper crop of figs and chilghoza this year.

Apricot and figs are harvested in colder regions of Balochistan and NWFP and a good quantity of the same is also brought to Pakistan from bordering regions of Afghanistan.

Chilghoza is mostly harvested in Beesham, Hunza, Gilgit, Chilas, Dir, Chitral, North and South Waziristan and some other mountainous areas of tribal belt of NWFP.

These days, two kinds of chilghoza are available in Lahore markets. One is dark brownish and the other is white or light cream in colour. The latter is of the best quality. In the wholesale markets and inner city bazaars, it is being sold at Rs 450 to Rs 500 per kilogram. At Model Town Link Road and Beadon Road outlets it is being sold at Rs. 700 to Rs. 740 per kilogram (dark and light coloured chilghoza respectively). In more upscale markets of Defence Housing Authority and Liberty Market, the same fetch Rs. 600 to Rs. 850 per kilogram.

Similarly, good quality dried figs are being sold at Rs 240 per kilogram in stores in posh areas. However, in streets and Sunday bazaars, it could be bought at Rs 150 to Rs 130 per kilogram.

Allah Rakha, a dry fruits vendor at Township Market, told The News on Sunday that the local wholesale markets have received chilgoza, dried figs and peanuts in abundance and that is why these are being sold at less than 50 per cent of the last year's price.

Owner of a general store, Sheikh Rashid said last year chilgoza was sold at Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1200 per kilogram and shelled ones fetched about double the price. Dried figs were sold at Rs. 500 to Rs. 600 per kilogram, depending on quality.

"We are seeing best quality dry fruits in local markets because the same is not being exported," he said.

When TNS contacted Dry Fruits, Grain and General Merchants Association Akbari Mandi Lahore in this regard, Vice President Sheikh Salahuddin aka Sheikh Bhola said growers have reaped a bumper crop of 100,000 bags of 80 kilogramme each of chilgoza this year. This comes out to be 5,000 metric tonnes of shelled chilghoza. This is twice the quantity of the crop compared to last year, he also said and maintained normally about 2500 tonnes of shelled chilgoza is produced every year.

Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan are the production centres of chilgoza where they are shelled and packed for export. When asked about recent flood of chilghoza in the local market, he informed that the reason behind it is that importers of the commodity based at Dubai and Saudi Arabia are placing orders for the same in anticipation that the price of chilghoza would further decline in Pakistan.

He also said chilgoza is extensively used in middle eastern cuisines and is a favourite and has a big market in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. In 2006, a 10-kilogram box of shelled chilghoza fetched about 800 Dirham in Dubai markets while the same this year is being sold at 470 Dirham.

He said the prices of chilghoza would further decline and that is why importers are not placing further orders. Sheikh Salahuddin further said in Pakistan wholesale markets, December 25 is the end of the buying season of dry fruits from growers and the traders want to get rid of old stocks by that time so that they get fresh stocks, so there would be more dry fruits in the local market at cheaper rates.

In this entire scenario, it is the Lahorites who got a chance to enjoy bountiful dry fruits this winter and largely people say, "It's now that we are enjoying winters in Lahore."

Today is the 44th day of ban on Geo TV. Every time a rally is organised more and more people come to it. Geo has in fact gained more popularity as not only members of the civil society but common people from different walks of life join their rally against oppression -- for lifting of ban on the channel.

Two days back, on Friday, the attendance at the rally organised by Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) at Lahore Press Club was really good. After a very long time slogans of Zia's era also echoed in this rally. Musharraf's claims of giving freedom to media has all proved false. Geo has borne a loss of Rs four billion by now and its employees' future is at stake but they are bravely facing it. Somebody has said that law is to govern but law should be the protector and not a tyrant for the people.

When Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was on his death bed, somebody insisted that he say something to his followers and the last things he said were: "Offer your prayers and take care of your subordinates."

A head of the state is supposed to look after the welfare of those he governs. Here in Pakistan the head of state has snatched the livelihood of 4500 people of Geo. Governments everywhere give employment while here, it blocks our way to earn a living.

Hazrat Usman Ghani (RA) once said he would resign even if a dog starved during his reign, here people are starving and committing suicide every now and then, says a member of the civil society Abdul Munir Sheikh present at the rally. This reminds me of Blake's verse;

"A dog starved at his master's gate

Predicts the ruin of the state."

Media is the voice of the people. The curb on media shows that the government is afraid of public opinion. But what has the government to lose and fear if what it is doing is in the best interest of the nation as they say but somewhere they know that they are wrong, terribly wrong, hence the fear. And fear magnifies danger. This prompts people and governments to take extreme steps and then go to any lengths to justify their wrongdoings.

Its time the government realised that it cannot suppress the voice of the people because it finds other ways to be heard. At the rally was a poet known for his fiery, revolutionary poetry. People could be seen carrying copies of the new poem in Urdu he had written on the occasion. It went like this:

"The tyrants cannot bend us

We are the voice of the time

They cannot suppress us."

• Music Programme today at Alhamra Hall III, The Mall from 9pm-11:30pm

organised by Lahore Music Academy.

• Musical evening on Tuesday, Dec 18 at Alhamra Hall III, The Mall from 4pm to 6:30pm, organised by Happy Time Production.

• Hadiqa Kiani and Sohail Slamat in live concert today at 9pm, for the members and their guests at Royal Palm Golf & Country Club

• Eid ul Azha Polo Tournament from Monday, Dec 17-23 at The Lahore Polo Club, Race Course Park, GOR.

• LPC Polo Tournament till 1st January at The Lahore Polo Club, Race Course Park, GOR from 9am to 5pm daily.

• Vattar Media and Pakistan Ju-Jitsu Federation are organising National Ju-Jitsu & Belt Wrestling Championship to be held from Monday, December 17-19 at Wapda Sports Complex (Kot-Lakhpat), Lahore. In this championship 9 National Teams are participating. Time: 9am.

• Football: Railway vs PMC on Dec 20 at 3pm at Railway Stadium.

• Exhibition: Contemporary Miniatures by Safdar Ali Qureshi at Croweaters Gallery from 11am to 11pm till Dec 20.

• Puppet Show for Children at Alhamra, The Mall at 11a.m Ticket for Rs. 5/10

• Puppet Shows at Peerus Cafe every Sunday3m.

The so called 'modernisation', 'liberalisation' or 'westernisation' has changed our lifestyle, our traditions and values.

This alteration has also affected the way we celebrate our most important festival of the year like Eid. With Eid al-Azha just four days away, the purchasing of the sacrificial animals by the buyers has yet to gain momentum and more and more people are turning to collective qurbanis as a solution to the skyrocketing prices of sacrificial animals. On the other hand new trends are emerging on the scene such as recently announced Commercial Qurbani Services package offered by a meat selling outlet in Lahore.

There are various options in this package. One can only buy a sacrificial animal or can also benefit from their slaughter and packing service. They will slaughter the animal, cut it according to your liking and get it packed. Different details of this package are as follows:

The price of a goat, weighing 36-40 kg is RS 12,000 including free home delivery. If you want them to slaughter it for you then the price is Rs.13, 000 and the net weight will be 18-20 kg. In case of sheep (chatra, dumba) the price is 8,500, with sacrificial services it is Rs 9,500. Cows weighing 280-300 kg are for Rs 30,500 and in the same way one thousand more will be charged for the slaughter services and the net weight will be 140-150 kg. The charges for a share in cow are Rs 4,500 with 17-20 kg net weight. The customer can get payas and siris, however the skins will be donated to Shaukat Khanum Hospital. If you don't want to donate, you can sell it to the outlet for Rs. 250.

According to the outlet officials, people's response has been tremendous towards this scheme. So many people have contacted them that they have stopped the bookings for the first and second day and now they are taking orders for the third day and that too on full payment and only on 'public demand' because many people came to know about it much late. The animals will be slaughtered at their slaughterhouse at Manga Mandi, Raiwind Road and will be later brought to the respective outlets. Delivery of slaughtered animals will start at 1pm and continue till 9.30 pm for three days of Eid. They hope to cater to 30-40 orders in an hour.

Where this new service has attracted Lahorities to this extent, it has also raised some eyebrows. There are people who think that this 'commercialisation' will mar the true spirit of Qurbani. Zaffar Ahmad, a retired government officer is one of them. According to him, "Few years back there was a death in our neighborhood. The family didn't bring the dead body to the house and kept it in the cold house of the hospital. Next morning they picked it up from the hospital, took it to graveyard and buried the man. Now that this new service has started in the city, people will collect the meat cut and packed, store it directly in their freezers with no distribution. In the next few years it will become a regular fashion and thus, true spirit and tradition of Qurbani will fade".

Here, a sociologist and a professor at LUMS, Uzma Mazhar says, "Yes, some of the things are not happening in our society as they used to be hundred years ago , but lifestyle is changing all over Pakistan and traditions and cultures change when lifestyles change. Now, we have small houses, we don't have servants, therefore, not everyone has the ability to fullfil the requirements that come with qurbani baggage, hence, it is not a matter of right, wrong, good or bad, it is simply to adapt to new needs. If one keeps Islamic perspective in view, then there is nothing wrong in that".

Saeed Ahmad Khan, eminent religious scholar gives an insight into the Islamic teachings on qurbani. "Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) used to sacrifice with his own hands, so we should preferably try to follow Sunnah, if not then at least it should be in front of one's eyes. There are certain other things which should be kept in mind while opting for such choices, e.g. order is to distribute meat in three equal parts. Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) would not eat anything on Eid day until the meat of the sacrificial animal was ready, so if one wants to follow that sunnah, he may have to wait for the whole day till the delivery of meat. There is order to sacrifice after Eid prayers and it should stop before sunset. How will that be made sure? If a person sacrifices an animal in his presence, a spirit of selflessness is created in him. With services like that there is a danger of losing such spirits and blessings. If we can manage it in our house many people can benefit from it. The butcher gets a share, there might be people in our neighbourhood who would be pinning hopes on us, they might remain ignorant or confused. There are people who come for the waste of the sacrificial animal and benefit from it, even if we sell it, we give the money in the name of God etc."

Butchers' business might suffer. Mohammad Siddique, a butcher, says, "Over the years our business has already suffered because of inflation. As far as this new service is concerned, I would only say that this concept is not new. For the past few years, people have been bringing animals to my shop on the plea that at home it is very difficult to clean blood and waste. They have just made it a commercial venture. Nonetheless, it is comparatively expensive."

Lastly, according to the outlet officials, "In all Islamic countries, sacrifice is done collectively at one place to avoid the mess, to distribute meat or not is people's own choice. Already due to materialistic approach the distribution trend is sliding downwards. We will provide quality service based on hygienic and Islamic rules. Moreover, this scheme is more beneficial for those who live abroad, for those households where there are only women and for people who live in certain areas like defence where publicly Qurbani is banned."

How will this new trend affect the Eid traditions of Zinda Dilan-e-Lahore? Whether it will flourish and reach to other cities or not, only time will tell. Whatever the case, the spirit of Qurbani shall remain intact and the deserving must get due share in meat and Eid's happiness. Happy Eid.

With Eid-ul-Azha just around the corner, the city of Lahore is witnessing an influx of sacrificial animals. The city district government has done some planning to handle this situation. Open areas, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, have been allocated for the purchase and sale of these animals. The rules set by CDGL (City District Government Lahore) mean a lot of grievances for the sellers and hardships for the buyers.

"I have come all the way from Khushab to sell the goats I've been looking after for the past one year," says Ghulam Ali stationed at Bakar Mandi Lahore. "When I got here with my animals I was confused about where I am supposed to keep them. That is because on our arrival we were not told that the spots where we used to sell our animals previously, have been changed." The situation is not different for many like Ghulam Ali who, in search of a better market and good sale, opt for big cities like Lahore.

Model Town Link Road and Kotha Pind were amongst the best sale points until last year. Now they have been shifted to Township. Muhammad Ishtiaq, a resident of Model Town says, "It's difficult for me to come to Bakar Mandi only to discover that the prices of animals have sky rocketed. I used to buy my animal for sacrifice from one man who came to Kotha Pind every year. This year, with city government restricting traders to do business around Kotha Pind, traders have lost clients and vice versa."

This year the number of buyers has also decreased. It is no secret that as eid draws closer the prices have increased manifold. Malik Sultan is in livestock business and sells animals round the year. "The drastic change in the weather delays the decision to purchase animal." He furthers adds that "the business is done on the normal loss and gain basis. If our business is not doing well according to our expectations we increase the price in the last three days before eid to compensate the previous loss."

This price-hike is also ascribed to the 'commission' extorted by a mafia consisting of commission agents and the unions. They force traders to give Rs 20 and Rs 90 for every goat and cattle respectively. Rs 1,000 to 1,200 are taken for each truck. Although the government took steps on the complaints of traders the mafia is still harassing them. They usually target people who come in search of job from rural areas. "I don't know who to contact," says Mukhtiyar who comes from Bhakkar to sell his goats. "These people even threaten to confiscate our goats if we resist."

Since sacrificial animal is the most important part of this eid, there is a lot of competition among the buyers. Those who can afford take this as an opportunity to show-off by buying expensive animals. Malik Sultan who is good at selling ordinary animals at expensive price says, "these animals are not different from the others. The only difference is that they are well nourished, look healthy and are presentable to the buyers." These animals are kept till the last hour and are often auctioned away. The person who is able to call the highest bid walks away with the animal. Some consider this debauchery asserting it as irreligious and devoid of the true spirit of eid. They argue that people who buy such animals only make a mockery of the true essence of eid.

People sharing resources to buy animal is also being witnessed this year. This is largely because of the ever-increasing prices of the animals. Shahid Khan who came to Bakar Mandi to buy an animal to be shared with others said, "this practise of 'joint sacrifice' has increased in the past few years. It is economical and allows people to make the sacrifice staying within their limits."

1. Speak their hearts out

2. Never mince their words

3. Eating from rehris

4. Eating all the time

5. Yari Dosti

6. Exaggeration

7. Show-off

8. Spewing

9. Go out of the way to help people

10. Over estimate their city