LAHORE: The nation’s sales and purchases of sacrificial animals have already started in anticipation of Eidul Azha.

Over the years, the religious festival’s financial aspects have changed, with animal trade now being accessible with a single click.

The days of spending time and money at the old-fashioned livestock markets and swarming roadside sale locations several days before to Eid are long gone. Additionally, compared to a few years ago, the traders don’t seem to be as enthralled with the possibility of making a quick cash.

In spite of the conveniences that come with modern technology, many people observe that the practice of offering animals as sacrifices in order to obtain the benefits of a higher power appears to have lost its appeal and vitality.

Today, most individuals choose to use technology tools to purchase sacrificial animals while remaining in the comfort of their own homes, saving time and money and avoiding the inconvenience of haggling and pain points.

Let’s examine the possibilities available to prospective buyers of sacrificial animals, given that online shopping has become the norm.

Animal trade QR code

The first instant payment service in Pakistan, Raast, allows end-to-end digital payments between individuals and businesses nationwide. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched a digital initiative to facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals.

In order to enable QR code payment at 50 livestock markets nationwide, the SBP is reportedly collaborating with 25 banks. An official estimates that the trades might bring in at least Rs 550 billion.

An online payment method is the QR (Quick Response) code. It’s a scannable barcode with dots, patterns, and lines in both vertical and horizontal directions.

Recently, a top officer stated that the SBP was collaborating with banks to let farmers and livestock markets to do transactions via QR codes this Eid.

“At cattle markets during Eid, the SBP will make it simple for purchasers of sacrifice animals to make payments via a QR code technique. “It is a component of the Raast Instant Payment System payment application,” the officer clarified.

He stated that markets had been found in fifteen cities, including as Hyderabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad.

“This Eid, which falls in the middle of June 2024, we are covering six cattle markets in Karachi.”

The banker claimed that because installing POS equipment at vending locations is expensive and has its restrictions, the use of QR codes will completely transform the way people make payments.

web portal

Along with the Central Bank effort, the Punjab government has opened its first official internet platform so that residents can easily buy sacrificial animals.

As a result of the increasing trend of contemporary technology, reports state that it will enable individuals to purchase sacrificial animals online before Eid and speed the procedure.

The portal lists animals in great detail, complete with images, breed, species, age, weight, price, and other pertinent details.

By requesting ID card numbers from both buyers and sellers, representatives from the Punjab Cattle Market Management have made sure that the portal is safe for transactions.

After registering, anyone can also sell their animals using the platform, which will be operational even after Eid.

Other internet choices

Many for-profit businesses, meat suppliers, and religious organizations also provide an internet option for people to purchase sacrifice animals and participate in the ceremonies.

When the online animal trade surged and the Covid epidemic was at its worst, the trend gained momentum.

Owners of cattle farms and meat companies also use websites to run their businesses and provide customers with the option to purchase the sacrifice animals online.

Customary livestock auctions

A considerable number of individuals continue to frequent the customary cow markets, where commercial activity picks up in the final few days leading up to the sacrifice day.

The merchants’ outrageous demands for animal prices are a source of complaint for the tourists. Conversely, the sellers justify their high costs with a variety of reasons, including the expense of feeding, transporting, and animal raising.

The vendors claim that they travel hundreds of kilometers to reach a major city, such as Lahore, at their own expense and through hardships.

the willingness to make sacrifices

Eidul Azha honors Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him), who demonstrated extraordinary patience and persistence while genuinely fulfilling the “vision.” It also honors the ultimate sacrifice he made.

This unmatched demonstration of faith and unwavering surrender to Allah’s will created an unbreakable source of inspiration for all eternity.

When should Eidul Azha occur?

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department predictions, the celebration day is scheduled to occur on June 17.

The Climate Data Processing Centre states that the moon of Zilhajj is most likely to be seen on Friday, June 7, and that Monday, June 17, is Eidul Azha.

As per the center, on June 6, the moon will rise around 5:38 pm and set at around 7:20 pm. After sunset, the moon should be visible for about 72 minutes.

When the sun sets in Karachi, the moon will have been visible for 19 hours, and at that point, it will be 26 hours and 8 minutes old.