Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid ul Adha on the 10th of Zul Hujj, the last of the 12 months of the Islamic calendar. As Eid month approaches, enthusiasm among believers to purchase the best sacrificial animals, according to their affordability, reaches a feverish pitch in Pakistan.
We can moo and baa about this festive atmosphere — when the whole city is taken over by sacrificial ovines and bovines in the run-up to the big day, being proudly paraded by children and adults alike everywhere — until the cows come home.
Livestock farmers rear animals with care that rivals raising children. The breeders nurse these stock products until they reach sacrificial age. Then they haul the fatted bulls and heifers on trucks and vans from their far-off towns to cities to trade them in makeshift cattle markets called Maweshi Mandis ahead of Eid ul Adha.
These breeders are master salespersons and know when to cut a deal and when to tie it up. They never run losses. These seasoned merchants have the constitution of an ox and don’t listen to anyone until they don’t want to.
This picture, taken on June 17, 2023, shows a general view of Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
Geo.tv visited these Mandis and came across different exceptional animals in terms of size, weight, and breed.
This picture, taken on June 17, 2023, shows people waiting to get through their way as a vehicle stands in Yousuf Goth Mandi. — By the author
Among them was a heifer, bred in a way that may amaze some people. The owner, Nawaid, told Geo.tv that they started focusing on their animals’ growth when they were just days old.
The red-coloured heifer weighs in at 35 to 37 maunds (37.32kgs), the owner proudly claimed.
He showed us four four-toothed heifers, i.e., one of them was a Brahman breed, while the other three were of Cholistan breed.
This picture, taken on June 16, 2023, shows a Brahman breed heifer owned by Nawaid in FB Area, Karachi, with local residents, including children coming in numbers to see her. — By the author
Nawaid said these animals are fed butter in summer, and desi ghee in winter alongside their normal daily fodder.
“These animals are regularly vaccinated and they also undergo health checkups for the examination of their digestive system and growth.”
“Their stomachs are cleaned every three months to prevent any infection that could hamper their digestion,” Nawaid said, adding that “they are also given corn in their diet and other desi mixtures.”
This picture, taken on June 16, 2023, shows a heifer owned by Nawaid in FB Area, Karachi, with local residents coming in numbers to see her. — By the author
“We need to take very good care of their diet and always ensure that their fodder and water are fresh, clean, and hygienic. We take care of them as infants,” Nawaid added, who did not disclose the expenditures of growing his sacrificial animals into meaty titans.
This picture, taken on June 16, 2023, shows heifers, the first three of the Chilostan breed (right) and the Brahman breed (left), owned by Nawaid in FB Area, Karachi, with local residents coming in numbers to see them. — By the author
He went on to add: “We also monitor their digestion by examining their faeces as it tells us whether the food we gave them was right. This is how we administer their medications accordingly.”
This picture, taken on June 16, 2023, shows heifers, the first three of the Chilostan breed (right) and the Brahman breed (left), in FB Area, Karachi, with local residents coming in numbers to see them. — By the author
“This process takes around three years because the growth days of the animals are the first 24 months in which they grow their initial two teeth,” he opined.
This picture, taken on June 16, 2023, shows a heifer from the Chilostan breed in FB Area, Karachi, with local residents coming in scores to see. — By the author
“When an animal has grown its eight teeth, it is completely ready to be slaughtered. But people think otherwise here. It is commonly believed that an animal with eight teeth is old. It’s wrong. These teeth grow when animals reach 4 years, half their complete adulthood age, 8 years.”
This picture, taken on June 16, 2023, shows a Brahman breed heifer owned by Nawaid in FB Area, Karachi, with local residents, including children coming in numbers to see her. — By the author
In Yousuf Goth Mandi, we also visited some cattle-selling spots featuring bulls and heifers different from the rest.
In one of the sheds, we met with a cattle trader Ali, who showed us some of their best animals up for sale. He explained to us in detail about their breeds.
While pointing toward a white bull, Ali said: “This one is a mix of Sahiwal and Sibbi breeds and weighs nearly 14 maunds or approximately 520 kgs.”
“The price of this white goliath is 14 lac rupees for we have spent a fortune in growing him from a calf into a full-sized bull,” Ali remarked.
This picture shows three bulls bearing two teeth of Sahiwal and Cholistan breeds owned by Ali, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
Sahiwal breed bulls are muscular, whereas Sibbi ones are very tall. These are both associated with the names of cities in Punjab and Balochistan, respectively.
Ali said the black one, also pictured above at the centre from the Cholistan race, weighed 480kgs, adding that it had a price tag of 12 lac rupees (Rs1.2 million).
“This is the expected weight of the meat not the whole animal alive.”
This picture shows an Australian bull with two teeth, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
The live weight, he underscored, on average, would be more than 24 maunds for each bull.
This picture shows an Ali-owned Australian bull with two teeth (right), and two Brahman breed bulls, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
On the other side of his animal farm, he pointed towards a calf of the Brahman breed, which was heavyweight and tall as well.
This picture shows a Brahman breed bull with two teeth, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
Ali said Brahman is a foreign breed that has come to Pakistan recently.
This illustration shows an Ali’s Brahman breed bull around four years old, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
“The animals from this breed are also regarded as beef masters due to their height and weight,” he said and added, “This is a four-toothed one.”
Ali said: “He and other caretakers had nurtured all the animals under extreme care, preventing them from falling sick and losing weight at any point.” According to his estimation, these animals eat eight kgs of fodder at a time.
This picture shows two bulls (two-toothed) owned by Ali, one Australian (right) and the other Brahman breed, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
At a nearby farm in the same Mandi, there were three bulls from the Sibbi Balanari breed with an exceptional height above an average person. The caretaker, Fahad Hussain, said their bulls weighed around 20 maunds each.
This illustration shows a calf of the Sahiwal Balanari breed with four teeth, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
Hussain stated that his animals ate a specific kind of fodder, including porridge, mashed rice and flour, alongside a standard local diet.
This picture shows a four-toothed bull of the Sahiwal Balanari breed, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi.— By the author
His set a very high price for these bulls at 22 lac rupees (Rs2.2 million), and 20 lac rupees (Rs2 million), which he said was not high because he had invested a lot of money in them.
In another bull shed, while looking for animals, we also encountered animals of other breeds.
This picture taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi, shows a bull of the Sahiwal Balanari breed.— By the author
In one of the cattle sheds, we met Iftikhar Yousufzai, another cattle trader, who showed us some of his prized animals of Cholistan, Australian, and Sibbi breeds.
This illustration shows calves of the Cholistani breed (left) with two teeth and an Australian breed bull with four teeth owned by Iftikhar Yousifzai (pictured with the Australian bull on the right), taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
He said he personally takes care of them all and spends around 12 hours with the animals, adding that he “loves taking care of and watching them grow.”
This picture shows calves of the Cholistani breed with two teeth owned by Iftikhar Yousifzai, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. Iftikhar also termed them, referring to their colour as printed animals. — By the author
Yousufzai showed us two of his bulls, saying, “They eat more than 8 kgs of fodder daily and are all completely vaccinated.”
” I myself prepare fodder for these called printed animals — because of the patches of different colours on their body — to ensure proper hygiene and their health.”
This illustration shows a calf of the Cholistani breed with two teeth owned by Iftikhar Yousifzai, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
While citing inflation, Yousufzai noted that “there are fewer customers than last year. Now people just come, ask the price and move on, adding that “people should understand that we have also put a lot of our money into sacrificial animals, and that’s why we are selling them at such dear prices.”
This illustration shows a calf of the Sahiwal breed with two teeth owned by Iftikhar Yousifzai, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
“The demand for our Cholistan breed animals ranges from 6 lac rupees (Rs600,000) to 8 lac rupees (Rs800,000), which is moderate compared to the current prices in the market,” he emphasised. For Sibbi, the price for customers was 8 lac rupees (Rs800,000).
According to him, the meat weight of his animals ranges from 12 maunds to 14 maunds.
This picture shows a calf of the Sahiwal breed with two teeth owned by Iftikhar Yousafzai, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
Explaining the market mechanism Yousafzai said: “The owners demand different prices when using a reference. When you randomly approach a seller and ask how much you are asking for it, they will tell you a much higher than the actual price leaving a margin or bargaining.”
“But we do not do this because we are here for business. We never lose our customers and ensure they return to us next time,” Yousufzai said.
This picture shows a bull of the Sahiwal breed with a caretaker, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
In another shed, Ajab Khan, a cow breeder, was also making his presence felt with his prodigious Australian-cross breed animals, with a demand of 13 to 15 lac rupees (Rs1.3 to 1.5 million).
This picture, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi, shows an Australian-cross breed bull with four teeth owned by Ajab Khan. — By the author
Khan noted that his animals were also bred with good care. He said the weight of his white Australian-cross-bred bull was 15 maunds, while of that of black, it was 17 maunds.
This illustration shows an Australian-cross-breed bull with four teeth owned by Ajab Khan, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
He also sa that his animals had six to eight teeth and were fully vaccinated.
The picture shows an Australian-cross-breed bull with four teeth owned by Ajab Khan, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
“We are not seeing many customers this time, yet the prices are at par with the inflation.”
He further underlined that as the purchasing power of the people indubitably had decreased, the prices for animals were slightly higher than last year, which, according to him, was “just fine”.
Khan said they feed their animals special fodder made from oil and sometimes ghee and they were also given dried fruits like almonds and cashews and a “special feed rich in growth nutrients.”
The picture shows an Australian-cross-breed bull with four teeth owned by Ajab Khan, taken on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
“The prices keep changing as Eid approaches. Some people lower their prices to sell their animals in haste, and some take them back to try their luck next year,” Khan underlined.
Khan also blamed runaway inflation and high fuel prices for multiplying all the other costs, mainly transportation, impacting the cost of breeding animals.
The picture shows an Australian-cross-breed bull with four teeth sitting on June 17, 2023, in Yousuf Goth Mandi, Karachi. — By the author
“There are more window shoppers in the market than buyers.”
He also claimed that due to extreme flooding last year, many people from interior Sindh are bringing their animals to cities for sale as they had suffered heavy losses.
“This is also a factor behind high animal prices,” he said.
Khan said that this time there would be more animals in the market than last year.
Pakistan marks the anniversary of the day the Pakistani Army defeated an enemy attack and won a major victory on September 6. On this day of defence, the families of the war martyrs from 1965 offered their opinions:
The soldiers’ actions in demolishing enemy tanks with explosives and their bravery in the dark were commended by Shaheed Sepoy Muhammad Haleem’s brother. He gave the 1965 martyrs his respects.
The significance of Defence Day is remembered for the martyrs, as stressed by Shaheed Sepoy Shahid Ahmed’s uncle. The brother of Shaheed Sepoy Aftab Hussain offered gratitude to everyone who has given their life in defence of the nation.
In addition to emphasising the value of encouraging rather than criticising the troops, Shaheed Sepoy Wazir Ahmed’s brother praised the soldiers for foiling the enemy’s schemes.
Javed Ahmed, Shaheed Lance Naik’s cousin, emphasised September 6th’s significance as a day of victory.
In addition to expressing support for the Pakistani Army today, the brother of Shaheed Havaldar Shafiq reiterated their dedication to remembering the dead of September 6, 1965.
In a recent statement, Pakistan’s Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb reaffirmed the country’s unwavering dedication to luring international investments by preserving an atmosphere that is commercially encouraging.
A group of international investors, led by Amin Mohammad Khowaja, the Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Pakistan, had visited him in Islamabad. He was speaking with them.
Muhammad Aurangzeb also provided further information regarding the ambitious structural reforms program of the government. This agenda aims to strengthen the general macroeconomic stability by widening the tax base, rightsizing the public sector, promoting privatization, and reforming the energy sector.
The Minister of Finance emphasized the great achievements that Pakistan has made in strengthening its macroeconomic indicators, such as the increase in exports by 14 percent, the decrease in inflation to 9.6 percent, which is the lowest level in 34 months, and an overall decrease in the current account deficit among Pakistan’s economic indicators.
It was also brought to his attention that Pakistan’s sovereign credit ratings had improved, which is indicative of a stable and encouraging economic future. According to him, the rigorous fiscal discipline, inflation management, and favorable balance of payments that the country has are the pillars upon which the country’s economic prosperity.
In addition to expressing confidence regarding the potential for larger investment flows into Pakistan, the delegation praised the efforts that the government has made to establish an atmosphere that is conducive to business.
According to Information Minister Atta Ullah Tarar, journalists must possess sufficient skills in order to serve as ambassadors for the country, particularly in the digital realm, to foster unity among people. This is a pressing requirement at present.
During an event in Islamabad focused on journalist training, Atta Ullah Tarrar, the Minister responsible for combating misinformation, stated his official role.
The Information Minister emphasized the indispensability of technology for achieving prosperity, and in line with this, the Government has implemented Pakistan’s inaugural digital land registry system.
Tarar stated that we have the privilege of initiating Pakistan’s inaugural safe city project.
Regarding verification and authentication, the Information Minister lamented the lack of a method to validate information.
According to the Information Minister, terrorist organizations are utilizing social media platforms. Additionally, the minister highlighted that the country’s economy is delicate, and the dissemination of a single false news item might result in significant economic losses for the nation.