One of many arteries of Empress Market. The Butcher section at Empress reminds us that Empress Market might be the first hyper mart of the region with separate portions for each category of common household needs. The butcher section however is in the most dire state right now. The roof is tearing apart. Situation on the floor is not very different. Meat is cut on tiles broken and stained with dirt and blood. Rest of it is hanging from rusted hooks. Animal fat is lying here and there on the floor. Wires dangling from the roof. Windows and Doors broken. The reek of sweating meat makes you go and breath in fresh air.
There used to be dedicated sweepers for the butcher section when Empress Market was built, a butcher told me. There are only few now with turnover multiplying exponentially, he further added. The place is still up and running due to our own initiative. Government still gets funding from British Govt. but they don’t divert the funds to the market, Butcher was keen to add it to my knowledge. However its not just City Govt. which has been accused of malpractices here. The butchers at Empress has been blamed for pumping water into slaughtered animals to increase the weight of meat. Customers say that it takes long to cook the meat which has been water injected. If such are the practices, they happen right under the banner celebrating birth of Holy Prophet.
The Karachi Walla 
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