A DISTURBING issue has increasingly emerged in major Pakistani cities related to the Eidul Azha festival; the organised collection and resale of sacrificial meat. Hundreds of individuals, many riding motorcycles with bags and containers attached, can be seen during Eid, collecting meat from door to door.

While genuine needy families certainly deserve support and compassion, a significant portion of this activity has unfortunately transformed into an informal commercial network. Large quantities of collected meat are later sold at extremely cheap rates in local markets.

Sacrificial meat is meant to promote compassion and community welfare, not commercialisation or organised begging. Unsupervised trade after Eid creates opportunities for exploitation, profiteering and unhygienic food practices.

In many cases, consumers purchasing cheaper meat are unaware of its source, storage conditions or quality. The absence of cold chain management and veterinary monitoring can frequently expose the public to dangerous infections and health complications.

Authorities in major cities must adopt a coordinated strategy to address this growing concern. Municipal adminis-trations, food safety authorities, and livestock departments should conduct strict monitoring against the illegal sale of sacrificial meat.

Temporary meat collection points and redistribution centres can be established where excess meat may be hygienically stored and distributed among deserving families through organised welfare systems rather than informal street networks.

Public awareness is equally important. Citizens should be encouraged to distribute meat responsibly through authentic and verified charitable organisations, welfare trusts, mosques and community groups. Unless addressed through both social welfare reforms and strict public health regulation, this phenomenon may well continue to grow, compromising not only hygiene standards, but also the true spirit and dignity of the religious festival.

Dr Raheel Laghari
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026