With consumer prices going north and affordability down south, millions of Pakistanis are fervently marking Eid ul Adha, aka ‘Bakra Eid’, but not without feeling the pinch amid prayers for an economic turnaround — which the country needs desperately.
The South Asian nation faces one of its worst crises as the government struggles to revive a stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, resulting in skyrocketing inflation and a record plunge in the rupee’s value.
After Eid prayers on Thursday, men rushed to search for butchers to help them carry out the sacrifice of their animals — an obligation for those who are able to afford it.
During the festival, Muslims around the world slaughter animals — goats, sheep, bulls/cows, or camels — keeping a third part of the meat for themselves before giving a third to friends and relatives and a third to charity.
But several people were left out of this activity as the soaring prices left them unable to purchase an animal, denting their happiness.