- Advertisement -
MULTAN, Jun 09 (APP): While most people celebrated Eid-ul-Azha with their families, many butchers like Irfan and Altaf spent all three days in big cities, far from home, working from morning to sunset to earn a better living.
Irfan and Altaf belong to Vehari, but this year they took their teams to bigger cities like Lahore and Multan, where the demand and the rates are higher.
“My children are in Vehari. I couldn’t spend Eid with them, but this work helps me feed them better,” said Irfan, with a mix of pride and sadness. He leads a team of three helpers who handled ‘qurbani’ duties across city neighbourhoods.
They charged Rs 20,000 for big animals and Rs 6,000 for smaller ones. With strong hands and sharp tools, each team took about 90 minutes for a cow or bull and 50 minutes for goats or sheep.
“The first day was the busiest. We made double the income compared to the second and third day,” Altaf shared while wrapping up his last assignment. “People want the job done early in the morning, so we start soon after Eid prayer.”
Their average schedule included five to six big animals per day, and the earnings were split among team members. The work is tiring, but the results are worth it. “This is our main season. The money from these three days helps us survive for months,” Irfan said.
Despite the good income, the emotional cost is high. “My kids kept calling me on video. They wanted me to come home, but I was booked for work every hour,” Altaf said, with emotion in his voice.
Still, both butchers say they feel proud to be part of this sacred practice. “Qurbani is an ‘ibadat’. People trust us to do it properly. We try our best to stay neat, fast, and respectful,” said Irfan.
As the third day came to an end, they packed their tools and got ready to return home. “Now, it’s our turn to celebrate Eid , even if it’s a little late,” Altaf said with a smile.