The Growing Cost of Eid Sacrifice in Pakistan

Eid ul Adha is supposed to be about sacrifice, community, and getting closer to Allah. But in Pakistan, it’s starting to feel like a competition to show off. Cattle markets are packed with goats, cows, and even yaks that cost more than a middle class family’s yearly income. Prices are through the roof, and it’s making Eid sacrifice, a religious duty, feel like a luxury only the rich can afford. As someone watching this unfold, I’m worried about what it means for regular Pakistanis like me, and I want to break down why this is happening and what it says about our culture, economy, and faith.

Prices Are Out of Control

Ten years ago, in 2015, you could get a share in a cow for Eid sacrifice for about 9000 (32$) to 10000 (36$) rupees. Now? Try 25000 (89$) to 30000 (107$). That’s triple the cost. Beef and mutton prices have been climbing 15 to 16 percent every year, while Pakistan’s inflation is only 7 to 8 percent. Chicken prices are closer to inflation, around 9 percent, but cows and goats? They’re in their own world. Meanwhile, our economy’s growing at a tiny 3 percent a year. Most people’s salaries aren’t keeping up, especially the middle class.

Think about it: a cow that gives you 1200 kilos of meat, bought for 2 crore rupees (70892$), works out to 15000 (54$) to 17000 (61$) rupees per kilo. Regular beef in the market is 1300 (5$) to 1500 (6$) a kilo. The poor folks getting Eid sacrifice meat don’t care if it’s from a fancy cow or a regular one. So why are we paying these crazy prices for a religious act that’s supposed to be about humility? It’s squeezing regular people out of doing Eid's sacrifice, something we’re supposed to do if we can afford it.

Showing Off Instead of Sacrificing

What’s behind these insane prices? It’s not just supply and demand. It’s a culture of showing off, and social media’s making it worse. People are buying animals worth 2 or 3 crore (70892$ or 106338$), long tailed goats, yaks shipped to Karachi’s 40 degree heat, you name it. Online pages with millions of followers have popped up since 2015, turning cattle markets into fashion shows. It’s not about Eid sacrifice anymore; it’s about who can flex the most expensive animal.This isn’t just a rich guy’s hobby, it’s messing up the market for everyone. When someone drops 2 lakh (709$) on a goat that should cost 50000 (178$), it pushes all prices up. A cow share that used to be affordable is now a stretch for the average family. The middle class, already hit with taxes and stuck wages, can’t keep up. It’s like we’ve turned a sacred act into a status game, and it’s leaving most of us behind.

Losing the Spirit of Eid ul Adha

Islam teaches simplicity. The Quran says in Surah Bani Israil (17:27) that wasting money is like being a “brother of Satan.” Eid sacrifice is a duty, not a chance to buy a fancy car or a designer bag. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once got upset with his companions for praying in a way that blocked a road, because it caused trouble for others. But look at our Eid ul Adha: streets are jammed with animal markets, and neighborhoods are left with piles of waste. I heard about a Karachi sewer that got unclogged and had a whole cow’s head in it. That’s not what Eid Sacrifice is about. It’s supposed to bring us together, not make life harder for our neighbors.

When we focus on flashy animals instead of making Eid sacrifice accessible, we’re missing the point. It’s not about how much you spend, it’s about giving up something you love for Allah, whether that’s money, pride, or ego.

Cash Deals and No Rules

Here’s another problem: the livestock market is a cash free for all. It’s a billion rupee industry with almost no oversight. Sellers can put any price on an animal, and buyers pay in cash, no questions asked. Someone could say they sold a calf for 30 lakh (10634$), use it to move undocumented money, and no one checks. Unlike gold, which has a set market price, animals are priced however the seller feels. This fuels crazy price hikes, a 1.5 lakh (532$) goat gets sold for 3 lakh (1064$), and the whole market follows.

Look at Bangladesh and India. Their per capita GDP is double ours, 2500 dollars to our 1300, but their beef costs the same as ours, 5 to 6 dollars a kilo. Pakistan has tons of livestock, so why’s our meat so expensive? It’s not because of scarcity; it’s because of speculation and elite control.

Let’s Get Back to Basics

Eid ul Adha is about sacrifice, not showing off. When the rich drive prices to the moon, they make it harder for regular Pakistanis to fulfill a religious duty. The middle class is getting crushed, stuck between taxes and flat incomes. We need to rethink this: make Eid sacrifice affordable, regulate the livestock market to stop price raising, and focus on devotion, not display. Pakistan’s the only Muslim country turning Eid ul Adha into a spectacle. With 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, we should know better. Islam is about discipline, not showing off. This Eid, let’s give up the pride and status and focus on what Eid ul Adha really means.