By Salman Khan.
LAHORE – Eidul Azha is just around the corner, and sacrificial animal sales and purchases have already begun across the country.
The business activities related with the religious event have evolved throughout time, with animal commerce now only a click away.
People no longer want to spend their time and money at traditional cattle markets and roadside selling stations several days before Eid. Traders appear less enthralled by the notion of making a quick cash than they were a few years ago.
Many individuals believe that the custom of sacrificing animals to seek the Higher Power’s blessings has lost its essence and charm, despite the convenience that technology provides today.
To avoid the inconvenience of haggling and pain points, as well as to save time and money, most individuals nowadays choose to acquire sacrifice animals from the comfort of their own homes using technology.
As internet shopping becomes more popular, let’s take a look at the possibilities available to potential sacrificial animal buyers.
QR Codes for Animal Trade
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched a digital initiative to assist buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals in conducting transactions using Raast, Pakistan’s first instant payment facility that allows for end-to-end digital payments between people and companies across the country.
The SBP is claimed to be working with 25 banks to enable payment via QR codes at 50 cattle markets around the country. According to an official, the transactions are expected to total Rs550 billion or more.
QR (Quick Response) codes are used for online transactions. It is a scannable barcode that includes horizontal and vertical lines, dots, and patterns.
A senior officer reportedly said that the SBP was collaborating with banks to let livestock markets and farmers to do transactions using QR codes this Eid.
“During Eid, the SBP will make it easy for buyers of sacrifice animals to pay using a QR code technique at cattle markets. The officer said that it is part of the application of payments through the Raast Instant Payment System.
He stated that markets have been found in fifteen cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Hyderabad.
“We are covering six cattle markets in Karachi this Eid (falling in mid of June 2024).”
The banker stated that the QR code method would revolutionize the payment experience because the high cost of deploying POS devices at vending locations had restrictions.
Online portal
In addition to the Central Bank initiative, the Punjab government has developed its first official internet platform, allowing individuals to buy sacrificial animals with ease.
According to reports, it will allow people to buy sacrificial animals online ahead of Eid, streamlining the process with contemporary technologies.
The site has complete lists of animals, including photographs, age, weight, species, breed, price, and other pertinent information.
Officials from the Punjab Cattle Market Management have guaranteed that the portal is secure for transactions by obtaining ID card numbers from both buyers and sellers.
Furthermore, the platform lets anyone to sell their animals after registering and would remain open long after Eid.
Other Online Options
A variety of private companies, meat dealers, and religious institutions also provide internet services for purchasing sacrificial animals and participating in ceremonies.
The idea gained traction when the Covid epidemic reached its zenith and the online animal trade boomed.
Cattle farm owners and meat manufacturers use websites to sell their sacrificial animals.
Traditional cattle markets
Many individuals continue to frequent traditional cattle markets, where commerce picks up just a few days before the day of sacrifice.
Visitors complain about the merchants’ excessive prices for animals. The sellers, on the other hand, blame high costs on a variety of issues, including the expense of animal raising, feed, and transportation, among others.
The traders claim they travel hundreds of kilometres to a major city, like as Lahore, and pay for transportation while enduring hardships.
The spirit of sacrifice.
Eidul Azha celebrates the highest sacrifice made by Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him), who really fulfilled the ‘vision’ and demonstrated exceptional patience and steadfastness.
This exceptional act of faith and unwavering surrender to Allah’s will left an indelible path of inspiration for future generations.
When is Eidul Azha expected?
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts that the feast day will fall on June 17.
According to the Climate Data Processing Centre, the moon of Zilhajj is most likely to be seen on June 7 (Friday), with Eidul Azha falling on June 17 (Monday).
According to the center, the moon will rise at 5:38pm on June 6, and it will likely set at 7:20pm. The moon will likely be visible for 72 minutes after sunset.
The moon must be 19 hours old to be seen, and by sunset in Karachi, it will be 26 hours and 8 minutes old.