A group of 15 goats at Islamabad’s Bhatta Chowk Mandi have become selfie favourites among visitors out to shop bakras ahead of Eid al-Adha. A rare strain of the Beetal goat, known as the Rajanpuri Nukray, has become the star attraction, according to reports. Being sold for a premium price of PKR 2.5 million each, their white coat and muscular build is unmissable.
“These goats are known for their strong physique and rare beauty,” Fida Hussain, the goat seller, was quoted in The Express Tribune.
The goat originates from western Punjab and is known for its distinctive white coat, hearty appetite, and ability to adapt to varied diets, features that have helped it stand out in a competitive market.
For most buyers across Pakistan, affordability remains a growing concern this Eid. In Karachi’s cattle markets, prices for goats now start at PKR 40,000, while heifers (female cows who have not given birth yet) — regardless of weight — are barely available for less than PKR 140,000. Last year, lighter heifers could be purchased for under PKR 100,000. Now, many are selling for PKR 200,000 or more.
Traders attribute the steep price hike to a sharp increase in the cost of fodder, fuel, transportation, and market maintenance. Margins for sellers can range from PKR 15,000 to PKR 50,000 for smaller animals, and up to PKR 200,000 or more for larger ones, traders said.
Buyers are growing increasingly frustrated by the absence of official oversight on animal pricing, as traders continue to set prices arbitrarily, forcing customers to rely on haggling to secure a deal, The Express Tribune report added.
Waseem Raza Naqvi, a content analysis manager with Geo News told ThePrint that in Pakistan, people even buy goats that go up to PKR 1 crore.
“If we look at the qurbani from a religious angle, apart from the pilgrims who do Hajj, there is no other obligation. You do not necessarily have to do it, but in Pakistan it has become a status symbol. You have to buy a goat for crores, show it around. Some people even put lights and music outside their house and show off their goats,” he said.
In Pakistan buying goats is now more about competition and less about faith. The peer pressure is so high that people even form committees for an entire year to pool in money and buy a buffalo. It is now an obligation.
“In Pakistan, sacrifice isn’t about religion anymore, it’s about swag. You parade your animal around the neighborhood for ten days. The rich want to flex, the poor feel pressured, and no one knows why they’re doing it except to show off. It’s less Eid and more Instagram,” Naqvi said.
“The government doesn’t fix prices, so every guy with a goat becomes a price dictator. The same Rajanpuri goat that’s worth PKR 60- 70k suddenly becomes a ‘rare breed’ and costs more than a million just because it has big ears and a pink nose,” he added.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Pakistan has lots of donkeys. Why don’t they use donkeys for qurbanis?
Instead of exporting donkeys to China they can themselves consume them. It would bring down the sky-high prices of goats, buffalos and heifers thereby providing relief to the poor and middle classes.
What is also important to note is that this might actually help drive up the average IQ of a Pakistani.