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M Atif Ismail
MULTAN, Jun 03 (APP):As the blessed days of Eid ul Azha approach, roads of South Punjab’s villages echo with hope, hustle, and the sound of cattle. For many, it’s not just a religious occasion but a season of fulfilled dreams and long-awaited income.
Muhammad Hussain, a small farmer at Pipli Adda (Vehari), raises cattle all year round with devotion. “This is our crop,” he says, gently brushing his prized bull. “I don’t grow wheat only but I grow bulls also. Eid is our harvest season.” He feeds them hand-cut grass, sings to them, and decorates them in anticipation of buyers who arrive from cities seeking healthy, majestic animals for sacrifice.
Hussain is not alone. Thousands like him across South Punjab invest months of labor, love, and money into rearing animals, hoping for good returns during Eid. The region, known for its agricultural soul, transforms into a thriving economic machine fueled by livestock trade in these sacred days.
Connecting the dots is Malik Nadeem, a middleman at Chak No 34/WB, who facilitates deals between farmers and city customers. “I bring animals from remote villages to Multan, Vehari, and Lahore markets. It’s not easy, but this is our season to earn after a year of struggle,” he shares while supervising the loading of cattle onto loader rickshaws, mini-trucks under the summer sun.
The economy doesn’t stop at the sale of animals. A parallel network of support emerges. Allah Dittah, a young grass seller from Chah Darkhanwala, says he sells fodder bundles twice the usual rate before Eid. “People buy the best for their animals in these days.” His stall outside the local mandi never sleeps during the Eid week.
Then there is Sufi Nazeer, who sells ornamental accessories for animals including necklaces, bells, colorful ropes, and embroidered sheets. “When a child loves his bull, he decorates it like a bride,” he stated. His Eid sales cross five figures, a boost that sustains his family for months.
The story continues even after the sacrifice. Allah Rakha, another social figure, collects animal hides door to door. “I collect them for a village welfare trust after seeking permission from district authorities.
In the city streets, butchers like Irfan Jutt become the busiest hands of Eid. Originally from Vehari, Irfan travels to Lahore every Eid for work. “People book me months in advance. I earn in three days what I can’t in three months back home,” he says while sharpening his tools, eyes set on a better future.
For the people of South Punjab, Eid ul Azha is more than a tradition, it’s livelihood also. A festival that turns rural backyards into bustling livestock hubs, small stalls into profit centers, and skilled hands into sought-after services.
From sun-scorched cattle pens to decorated market stalls, this sacred season brings joy wrapped in hard-earned rupees. A billions rupee economy driven by faith, effort, and the dreams of those whose lives revolve around animals.