Eidul Azha 2025 - Time to embrace 'smart sacrifice'
Pakistan
SBP has launched campaign to reduce reliance on cash transactions within cattle markets
By Salman Khan
LAHORE – Eidul Azha is just days away and the hustle and bustle at sacrificial animal markets across the country gains momentum.
In this day and age of digital boom, the business activities associated with the religious festival have transformed. Sacrificial animal trade is now a click away.
Gone are the days when people would love to invest time and money in the traditional cattle markets and throng roadside sale points several days before Eid. The traders also seem less enchanted today by the prospects of making a fast buck in a traditional way than they used to be until a few years ago.
Quite a number of people, especially tech-savvy young ones, prefer technological tools and facilities to buy sacrificial animals while staying in the comforts of their homes.
2025: GO CASHLESS
Keeping the tradition alive, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has already announced a nationwide "Go Cashless" campaign to promote digital payments and reduce reliance on cash transactions within cattle markets during the upcoming Eidul Azha.
“This strategic initiative, aligned with SBP's goal of fostering digital financial inclusion throughout Pakistan, commenced on May 19, 2025, and will continue until June 6, 2025, or eve of Eid,” says a press release.
Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities presented by cattle markets, it says, usage of digital financial services will present greater convenience, enhanced transaction speed, and security of financial exchanges for merchants, and buyers alike.
Also Read: Hot, dry weather forecast in plain areas during Eid days
The SBP says digital payment solutions can be utilised within these cattle markets for a range of transactions, including the purchase of sacrificial animals, payment for daily provisions such as water and feed, and settlement of parking fees.
The SBP, in partnership with banks, has rolled out the campaign across 54 cattle markets in 22 districts throughout Pakistan.
This extensive reach underscores the SBP's dedication to fostering a digitally inclusive and efficient financial ecosystem.
2024: QR CODE AND OTHER OPTIONS
Last year, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) introduced a digital initiative to help buyers and sellers of sacrificial animals deal through Raast – Pakistan’s first instant payment service that enables end-to-end digital payments among individuals, and businesses across the country.
The SBP worked with 25 banks to facilitate 50 cattle markets across the country for payment through QR codes. The transactions attracted millions of rupees, said an official.
The QR (Quick Response) code was an online mode of transaction. It’s a scannable barcode containing horizontal and vertical lines, dots, and patterns.
A senior officer recently claimed that the SBP worked with banks to enable cattle markets and farmers to do transaction on QR code this Eid.
The banker said the QR code method would revolutionise the payment experience as the high cost of installing POS machines at vending points has its limitations.
ONLINE PORTAL
In addition to the Central Bank initiative, the Punjab government launched its first official online portal to enable citizens to purchase sacrificial animals without hassle.
The portal provided detailed listings of animals, including their pictures, age, weight, species, breed, price, and other relevant information.
Officials from the Punjab Cattle Market Management ensured that the portal was secure for transactions, requiring ID card numbers from both buyers and sellers.
Additionally, the portal allowed anyone to sell their animals after registration and will remain active even after Eid.
OTHER DIGITAL OPTIONS
A number of private companies, meat vendors and religious institutions also offer online facility of purchasing sacrificial animals and taking part in the rituals.
The trend picked up steam when the Covid pandemic was at its peak and the online animal trade spiked.
Cattle farm owners and meat brands also operate through websites and offer an opportunity for online buying of the sacrificial animals.
TRADITIONAL CATTLE MARKETS
Quite a number of people still visit the traditional cattle markets where business activities gain momentum just few days before the day of sacrifice.
The visitors complain about exorbitant prices of animals the vendors demand. The sellers, on the other hand, cite a host of factors such as the cost of rearing animals, feed and transportation etc., for high prices.
The traders say they come all the way to a big city, say Lahore, from hundreds of kilometres and pay the cost of transportation and bear travelling hardships.
THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE
Eidul Azha commemorates the supreme sacrifice offered by Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) who truly fulfilled the ‘vision’ and showed exemplary patience and constancy.
This unparalleled act of faith and unhesitating submission to the will of Allah blazed an imperishable trail of inspiration for all time to come.
EIDUL AZHA ON JUNE 7
The federal government has announced four Eidul Azha holidays.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved four holidays from June 6 (Friday) to June 9 (Monday). The cabinet division issued a notification to the effect.
The first day of Eidul Azha in Pakistan will fall on June 7 (Saturday).
Earlier, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced that Eidul Azha would be observed on June 7 (Saturday).
Eidul Azha falls on the 10th day of Zilhaj which also marks the Hajj pilgrimage.
Earlier, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) also predicted that the Eidul Azha would fall on June 7.
