KARACHI: As rising inflation, high livestock prices and urban living constraints make individual qurbani increasingly expensive and cumbersome, more Karachiites are turning to ijtimai qurbani (collective sacrifice), which charities and madressahs say continues to attract people from various income groups as a relatively affordable and convenient way to fulfil the religious obligation.
Remittances sent home by overseas Pakistanis also play a vital role in keeping up with the tradition of collective sacrifice as they either wire money directly to charities or to their families to fulfil the religious obligation on their behalf.
The practice is particularly popular in urban centres such as Karachi, where many families live in densely populated neighbourhoods or apartment buildings and face difficulties in keeping, handling and slaughtering animals.
In contrast, organisations offering collective sacrifice, or groups arranging it, handle the purchase of animals, slaughter, meat distribution, and waste disposal, offering greater convenience to participants.
Karachiites cite rising animal prices, lack of space, traffic and waste-disposal concerns as charities report increasing participation in communal efforts
According to Islamic teachings, up to seven individuals may jointly share a large animal such as a cow or camel for qurbani, making the religious obligation more affordable for many households.
However, individually purchasing a cow can cost at least Rs160,000, while transporting it home from a cattle market can cost another Rs10,000. Feeding and other expenses can cost around Rs1,000 to Rs1,500 per day.
Given these costs and logistical challenges, many participants opt for collective sacrifice, under which they are assigned a scheduled date and time to attend the ritual.
Organisations report growing participation
Talking to Dawn, Muhammad Ghazzal, the chief operating officer of Saylani Welfare International Trust (SWIT) — one of the several institutions that offer collective sacrifice — said the trust intends to conduct more collective sacrifices this year compared to last year.
He added that the key reason was the current economic pressure on people due to rising inflation.
One share in a cow is now priced at Rs21,000, up from Rs18,000 last year. The price of a goat has been raised to Rs38,000 from Rs32,000 last year, he said.
“We keep our rates affordable while maintaining extensive coverage,” Mr Ghazzal said.
Last year, SWIT sacrificed approximately 6,000 cows and 6,000 goats, but this year the number of cows is expected to range from 7,000 to 7,500, while the number of goats is projected to exceed 8,000.
“As Saylani receives bookings from across Pakistan and around the world, overall bookings continue to grow despite local constraints,” he claimed.
Maulana Hidayat Ullah, prayer leader of Masjid-i-Siddiq Akbar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Block 3, said the price of a cow share has increased to Rs32,000 this year from Rs28,000 last year.
Cows sacrificed in collective settings usually weigh 105 to 120kg, and participants get around 14 to 17kg of meat per share, he said.
The price of goats is set at Rs52,000 (including the basket and other expenses) compared to Rs48,000 last year. Consumers will get around 14kg of meat, he added.
On the rising cost of collective sacrifice, he said that butchers are demanding Rs12,000 per cow for slaughtering and cutting it into pieces, compared to Rs8,000 last year, while rents for keeping animals in safe locations have also increased.
Fodder (chaara) is also more expensive compared to last year.
The cost of transporting animals from Punjab, mainly by truck, now stands at Rs180,000-190,000, compared to Rs140,000 last year.
He also pointed to a gate levy of Rs1,100 to Rs1,700 charged on each animal transported to Karachi from livestock markets in Punjab.
A spokesperson for Alkhidmat Foundation said that, on average, the price of a cow share has risen by approximately Rs1,000.
Similarly, there has been an increase in goat prices of around Rs10,000 compared to last year, primarily due to rising livestock prices, transportation costs, fodder expenses, and overall inflation.
Alkhidmat’s collective qurbani system operates through a decentralised model; therefore, share rates, participation trends, and operational dynamics may differ from one location to another.
“The trend of collective sacrifice has been gradually increasing over the years, and this pattern is likely to continue,” he added.
People associated with collective sacrifice initiatives believe that despite rising costs, the system remains attractive to many households because it allows participants to fulfil their religious obligation without having to bear the financial and logistical burden of purchasing, transporting, housing and slaughtering animals on their own.
Civic issues influence people’s choices
Many Karachiites say that besides rising prices, practical difficulties associated with keeping sacrificial animals have encouraged them to opt for collective qurbani.
“Buying a goat is not the only expense anymore,” said Asif Shameem, a resident of Federal B. Area. “You have to travel long distances to cattle markets, arrange transport, buy fodder and look after the animal for several days. With heavy traffic on city roads and fuel costs increasing, collective qurbani has become a more practical option for my family.”
Ahmed Raza, who lives in an apartment in North Karachi, said keeping an animal at home was increasingly difficult in urban neighbourhoods.
“There is hardly any open space in apartment buildings. We also worry about cleanliness, waste disposal and the inconvenience caused to neighbours. Collective sacrifice allows us to fulfil our religious obligation without facing these difficulties,” he added.
Abdul Raheem Sultan, a resident of Shadman, said weather conditions and civic issues were also influencing people’s choices.
“During Eidul Azha, hot and humid weather makes it difficult to keep animals healthy, while occasional rain can create additional problems. Organised collective sacrifice saves us from concerns about sheltering animals, arranging water and fodder, and disposing of waste afterwards,” he said.
Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026
