People are flocking to makeshift cattle markets in Karachi to purchase sacrificial animals ahead of the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which begins on 12 August in Pakistan.

Eid preparations begin in Pakistan

Pakistan&#39;s cattle markets have been crammed for weeks as the Muslim country prepares for the sacrificial festival of Eid al-Adha this weekend, but in Islamabad and Karachi crowd-weary residents are ordering animals by app instead.

Muslims slaughter an animal, a goat, sheep, cow, bull or camel, on the annual festival in a ritual that stems from the story of the prophet Abraham, commanded by God to slaughter his beloved son Ismail.&nbsp;

The meat is then distributed in equal parts to the poor, to relatives, and consumed by the family themselves.

The centuries-old festival is steeped in tradition, but this year some middle-class Pakistanis are turning to technology to skip the packed markets and ordering their animals via the ride-sharing app Careem.

The app, which is growing in popularity in Pakistan, introduced a &quot;Bakra (goat) on wheels&quot;&nbsp;initiative in the run-up to Eid, with specially-painted trucks ferrying the animals to customers.

The response was &quot;substantial&quot;, Careem marketing executive Abuzar Khan told AFP, adding they have sold nearly 30 goats so far.&nbsp;

But there was little chance of it threatening demand for animals at the country&#39;s&nbsp;bustling cattle markets.

At one market set up temporarily in Islamabad, this week farmers from across the country soaped and shampooed goats and camels, some shaving patterns into their coats to make them look more appealing in the eyes of judicious customers.

Social media was flooded with videos showing camels being transported by rickshaw and sheep clinging to the back of motorcycles as Pakistanis shepherded their purchases home.

Experts say that the livestock market in Pakistan is growing by up to four per cent annually as more young entrepreneurs are taking interest, and volume is high during Eid, explained trader Syed Hayat Raza Naqvi.

&quot;The minimum price of a bull, which takes two and a half years to groom, is 65,000 rupees ($650) and it goes higher than five or 600,000 rupees ($6,000),&quot; he said.

<img src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" />

The app, which is growing in popularity in Pakistan, introduced a 'Bakra (goat) on wheels' initiative in the run-up to Eid, with specially-painted trucks ferrying the animals to customers

Pakistan's cattle markets have been crammed for weeks as the Muslim country prepares for the sacrificial festival of Eid al-Adha this weekend, but in Islamabad and Karachi crowd-weary residents are ordering animals by app instead. Muslims slaughter an animal, a goat, sheep, cow, bull or camel, on the annual festival in a ritual that stems from the story of the prophet Abraham, commanded by God to slaughter his beloved son Ismail. The meat is then distributed in equal parts to the poor, to relatives, and consumed by the family themselves. The centuries-old festival is steeped in tradition, but this year some middle-class Pakistanis are turning to technology to skip the packed markets and ordering their animals via the ride-sharing app Careem. The app, which is growing in popularity in Pakistan, introduced a "Bakra (goat) on wheels" initiative in the run-up to Eid, with specially-painted trucks ferrying the animals to customers. The response was "substantial", Careem marketing executive Abuzar Khan told AFP, adding they have sold nearly 30 goats so far. But there was little chance of it threatening demand for animals at the country's bustling cattle markets. At one market set up temporarily in Islamabad, this week farmers from across the country soaped and shampooed goats and camels, some shaving patterns into their coats to make them look more appealing in the eyes of judicious customers. Social media was flooded with videos showing camels being transported by rickshaw and sheep clinging to the back of motorcycles as Pakistanis shepherded their purchases home. Experts say that the livestock market in Pakistan is growing by up to four per cent annually as more young entrepreneurs are taking interest, and volume is high during Eid, explained trader Syed Hayat Raza Naqvi. "The minimum price of a bull, which takes two and a half years to groom, is 65,000 rupees ($650) and it goes higher than five or 600,000 rupees ($6,000)," he said.

Pakistan's 'goat on wheels' app is a big hit this Eid

At least 11 people, including two policemen, were injured today during Eid-Al Azha prayers in Pakistan when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Shia mosque in southern Sindh province. 
 
The blast was reported in Shikarpur district&#39;s Khanpur tehsil, around 470 kilometres north of Karachi, police said. A suicide attack on another Shia mosque in the same district killed at least 61 people last year in January.&nbsp; 
 
Two suicide bombers tried to enter the Khanpur Imambargah but were intercepted by police, AFP reported quoting the officials. However, according to Pakistan daily Dawn, four suicide attackers had infiltrated Khanpur during Eid prayers.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Four of our men are injured of whom one is critical,&quot; Umar Tufail, a senior local police officer told AFP. 
 
Tufail added doctors were also trying to save the life of the other suspected bomber, who was injured when the first one blew himself up but failed to detonate himself. 
 
&quot;The attackers came as the worshippers were gathering to offer Eid prayers. Police were able to stop him at the gate outside the mosque,&quot; A.D. Khawaja, chief of police for Sindh province told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Worshippers overpowered the second would-be suicide bomber as the police were reeling from their injuries, he added. 
 
Pakistan has been hit by frequent sectarian violence in recent years, most of it perpetrated by hardline Sunni Muslim groups against minority Shia Muslims.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

The blast was reported in the same district where at least 61 were killed in a suicide attack on another Shia mosque in 2015

At least 11 people, including two policemen, were injured today during Eid-Al Azha prayers in Pakistan when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Shia mosque in southern Sindh province. The blast was reported in Shikarpur district's Khanpur tehsil, around 470 kilometres north of Karachi, police said. A suicide attack on another Shia mosque in the same district killed at least 61 people last year in January. Two suicide bombers tried to enter the Khanpur Imambargah but were intercepted by police, AFP reported quoting the officials. However, according to Pakistan daily Dawn, four suicide attackers had infiltrated Khanpur during Eid prayers. "Four of our men are injured of whom one is critical," Umar Tufail, a senior local police officer told AFP. Tufail added doctors were also trying to save the life of the other suspected bomber, who was injured when the first one blew himself up but failed to detonate himself. "The attackers came as the worshippers were gathering to offer Eid prayers. Police were able to stop him at the gate outside the mosque," A.D. Khawaja, chief of police for Sindh province told AFP. Worshippers overpowered the second would-be suicide bomber as the police were reeling from their injuries, he added. Pakistan has been hit by frequent sectarian violence in recent years, most of it perpetrated by hardline Sunni Muslim groups against minority Shia Muslims. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Eid day suicide attack outside Shia mosque injures at least 11 in Pakistan

eid-al-adha

Eid Al Adha, News on Eid Al Adha, stories on Eid Al Adha, articles on Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Adha stories at Wion, Eid Al Adha news, Eid Al Adha latest news

eid al-adha

Eid preparations begin in Pakistan

Pakistan's 'goat on wheels' app is a big hit this Eid

Eid day suicide attack outside Shia mosque injures at least 11 in Pakistan