KARACHI: Pakistanis sacrificed around nine million animals worth $2.5 billion on the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha last week, tanners and leather exporters have said, at least a one-billion-dollar increase from last year.
Eid Al-Adha, the second most important festival of Islam, was observed in Pakistan last Wednesday. Muslims traditionally mark the occasion by sacrificing livestock and distributing the meat among friends, family and the poor.
In Pakistan, the number of sacrificial animals has been on the rise since last year as people have been unable to go to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage due to coronavirus restrictions and have thus offered the ritual sacrifice in their home country.
Last year, the worth of sacrificial animals was estimated to be $1.5 billion.
“We estimate that around eight million to nine million animals including cows, sheep, goats and camels, were slaughtered on this Eid Al-Adha,” Abdul Salam, senior vice-chairman of the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), told Arab News. “Large number of Pakistanis who were unable to go for Hajj have offered the sacrifice rituals here in the country ... Sacrifices are more than our estimate of six million to seven million for this year.”
M. Danish Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and exporters Association (PLGMEA), told Arab News Rs400 billion ($2.5 billion) worth of animals were slaughtered this year. No official data was available.
“This growth is due to the restrictions on travel for Hajj,” Khan said.
Former PTA chairman Ejaz Ahmed Sheikh, who is chairman of leather supplier Bombal Leathers, said while exact figures were as yet unavailable, the overall value of sacrificial animals could be even higher than tanners’ estimates.
“It is estimated that around 3-4 million cows were slaughtered this year,” he told Arab News. “So, keeping average price at Rs 100,000, the overall value goes up to Rs300 billion, while if we add the value of goats, sheep, and camels, the value exceeds Rs400 billion.”
The rate of waste has also been higher this year, with data from the Lahore branch of PTA showing that Rs2 billion worth of hides and skins was wasted.
PLGME’s chief Khan said material wastage was an annual problem.
“Huge quantities of hides and skins are wasted every year due to lack of proper facilities required to preserve the material,” he said.
Skins and hides from sacrificial animals are usually collected by Islamic seminaries and welfare organizations which sell them to leather exporters and tanners to meet their financial expenditures.
Qazi Sadaruddin, director at the Al-Khidmat Foundation, a non-governmental organization that provides humanitarian services across Pakistan, told Arab News the collection of skins, as well as their rates, had increased this year.
“The rates are comparatively higher this year and the collection of skins and hides has also increased,” he said.
Eid Al-Adha contributes around 20-30 percent of raw material to Pakistan’s leather industry, which PLGME expects will cross the $1 billion mark this year. In the previous fiscal year 2020-21, the leather sector contributed $833 million to Pakistan’s overall exports of $25.3 billion.
“Despite COVID-19, Pakistan’s export sector has performed very well during the last fiscal year,” PLGME’s Khan said. “We hope that this year Pakistan’s leather exports will hit the $1 billion mark”.
Pakistanis sacrificed animals worth around $2.5 billion on Eid Al-Adha, tanners say
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Pakistanis sacrificed animals worth around $2.5 billion on Eid Al-Adha, tanners say
- Up to 9 million animals including cows, sheep, goats and camels, were slaughtered this Eid
- Number of sacrifices on the rise since last year as people unable to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage
Russia urges diplomacy, offers assistance to ease Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions
- Pakistan, Afghanistan engaged in fierce clashes last month after Pakistan hit what it said were TTP-linked targets in Afghanistan
- Tensions remain high between the neighbors after two subsequent rounds of talks in Istanbul failed to firm up an Oct. 19 ceasefire
ISLAMABAD: Russia has urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their differences through political and diplomatic means and offered to assist both sides in lowering tensions, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, citing a Russian broadcaster.
Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged in fierce clashes along their shared border on Oct. 11 after Pakistan conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan against what it said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan-linked targets.
While the two sides reached a ceasefire in Doha on Oct. 19, tensions remain high between the neighbors after two subsequent rounds of talks to firm up the truce failed in Istanbul.
Islamabad wants the Afghan government to take "verifiable" actions against militant groups operating on Afghan soil. Kabul denies harboring TTP or other groups and wants its territorial sovereignty to be respected.
“We call on Kabul and Islamabad to resolve any disagreements exclusively through political and diplomatic means and by peaceful methods,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by TASS news agency at a press briefing this week.
“The Russian Federation is always ready to contribute to promoting peace if it is requested by the conflicting parties. We have such experience, and we are ready for it.”
The TTP has been behind some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan since late 2000s. The group has stepped up its attacks against Pakistani security forces and law enforcement agencies since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
Zakharova said that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan “remains a matter of concern not only for Russia but… for the entire international community,” adding that “Russia stands in solidarity with its partners.”
There have also been reports that Iran is planning to hold a regional meeting to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
While there has been no comment by Pakistan on the statement by the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Sunday said that Islamabad welcomes Iran’s offer of mediation and will “not shy away from” it, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported.
“Pakistan is always in favour of finding peaceful resolutions of issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and we appreciate the offer of mediation of our brotherly country, Iran,” Andrabi was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“We believe that Iran can play an important role. We would not shy away from any mediatory role by Iran. Mediations are always welcome,” he said, adding that Pakistan had a “very strong case.”
“Generally, mediations are resented by a country or a side which is on a weak legal or a political case. Pakistan’s case on this issue, on terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, is very strong. So, obviously we will not shy away from mediation.”
