High steaks: Cows go from roof to plates for Eid in Pakistan
SY ED Eja z Hassa n’s a nnua l ritual in Pakistan’s megacit y of Ka r ach i ha s k icked of f, which will see his cows transported from a roof to plates over the coming days ahead of nex t week’s Eid a l-Ad ha holiday.
Muslims slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, cow, or camel – on the annual festival in a ritual that stems from the story of the prophet Abraham, c om ma nde d b y G o d t o slaug hter h i s beloved son Ismail.
The meat is then distributed in equal parts to the poor, to relatives and consumed by the family themselves.
In Karachi alone, nearly half a million cows, goats and camels will be sold or sacrificed during the holiday.
But in t he sprawling cit y of around 20 million, notorious f or it s g r id locke d t r a f f i c, dense neig hbourhoods a nd woef ul lack of g reen space, some roofs are transformed into temporary livestock pens ahead of Eid.
For Hassan – an entrepreneur – t he roof of his fou rf loor bu i ld i ng i s t he on ly place with enough space for t he hay a nd t roug hs necessa r y to ra ise t he ha lf dozen cat t le he hopes to sel l for a prof it before Eid.
Once the animals are fattened, cranes are then used to bring the animals down from the rooftop to the streets – amusing pedestrians watching from below.
“We raised them with love and care,” says the 56-year-old Hassan.
Even i f it is necessa r y, “it hurts to sacrif ice t hese a nimals which we have raised,” he adds.
Bracelets and henna
While thousands of animals will be slaughtered next week to celebrate Eid, livestock sellers and customers still prefer to add a bit of flamboyance to their purchases, outfitting their animals with leg bracelets or flowers necklaces while others are dyed with henna.
But amongst the lively and chaotic atmosphere in Karach i’s l ivestock markets a re bitter negotiations.
Double-digit inflation, a depreciating rupee and a range of new taxes in Pakistan this year have translated into much higher prices for animals this Eid.
“[ The farmers] are demanding exorbitant prices for cattle, almost double to that of last year,” says Syed Zeeshan.
“Last year I bought an animal for 100,000 rupees (about $625), but I will have to pay 12,000 more rupees for a smaller one,” complains another customer Mohammad Imran, a small business owner.
Despite the rise in prices, about 80,000 cows have already been sold at a single market in northern Karachi, according to administrator Zaki Abro.
To distinguish their stock in the crowded market, sellers have in some cases have chosen names for their animals, including a recently sold bull called Trump, with the hope of attracting customers.
“He has similar grandeur and distinction like the US president,” says Abro.