With law enforcers breathing down the necks of ‘forceful’ collectors, other groups hope to catch a big share this Eid . DESIGN: NABEEL KHAN
KARACHI:
Nearly 400,000 sacrificial animals have entered the city and many more are arriving each day leading up to Eidul Azha on Friday. More animals mean more hides for the collectors, who are getting on their marks to take home the largest share.
Numerous posters and banners have cropped up across the city, appealing to the residents to choose their organisation to donate sacrificial hides. Even organisations such as Jamaatud Dawa, which is on the watch list of the law enforcement agencies have put up posters.
The race becomes all the more competitive due to the high stakes involved. Last year, the hide of each goat was sold at Rs500 while a cow’s hide fetched Rs4,000, said Feroz Gulzar, a former chairperson of Tanneries Association of Pakistan. Imagine the amount of money earned when the country slaughtered nearly 1.2 million goats and three million cows, and nearly 25 per cent of these took place in Karachi.
However, Gulzar feared that the rates are likely to go down this year. “We have no export orders so we will not buy hides this year,” he explained. “Only the middlemen and the investors will be in the market to purchase hides and stock them.”
The cattle markets are also seeing fewer animals this year. Nearly 700,000 animals were sacrificed last year in Karachi alone but the ratio of animals coming to Karachi has gone down this year, said Super Highway cattle market spokesperson Naveed Baig. “Last year, 250,000 cows were brought to the cattle market at Super Highway but this year, so far only 175,000 cows have been brought in,” he said, adding that there are nearly 200,000 more cows in the other seven cattle markets in the city.
Still, there are enough animals for the winner to take home significant prize money. The Express Tribune takes a look at the different parties joining the race to collect the most hides and what their expectations are:
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
The MQM vows to collect the same amount of hides of sacrificial animals as it has done so for the past several years. “MQM’s charity wing, Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation, uses [money from selling hides] for the welfare of thousands of families,” said an MQM spokesperson, who feared the families will be affected if their collections dwindle. However, he assured that the party collects more than the previous year each time and they hope to do the same this Eid as well.
“If we are stopped from collecting hides, the same way we were stopped during Fitra and Zakat collections, then definitely a vacuum [in collections] will be created,” he said. The spokesperson feared that this vacuum will be filled by extremist organisations which will end up pocketing the hides. “This will not only be bad for us but it will be dangerous for the country.”
Jamaat-e-Islami
JI, a significantly big player in the hides’ collection business, does not feel that the ongoing operation will affect the number of hides collected by the MQM. “It appears that the collection of hides by the MQM will decrease but that is not true,” said JI leader Saeed Usmani, referring to the recent arrests of MQM leaders and workers.
“The ratio of forcible collection of hides will be compensated by sympathy donations as the current operation has so far proved beneficial for the MQM,” he said. “The ‘mohajir’ sympathy is with the MQM once again.” Usmani believed there will be very slight variations in the amount of hides collected by the MQM and their own welfare organisation, Al-Khidmat.
Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi
MQM’s rival in parts of Karachi, the MQM-H, has decided to stay out of the race and will not be collecting hides this year. “Afaq bhai has already asked the party [activists] not to collect hides,” said MQM-H spokesperson Khalid Hameedy. “Even those who wish to donate to the party voluntarily will have to contact other welfare organisations, not us.” He requested the law enforcers to arrest those people who collect hides under the party’s name.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Similar to MQM-H, the PTI also has no plans to collect hides during Eidul Azha. “There are strict party instructions about not collecting hides,” said PTI leader Dawa Khan Sabir. “Only Shaukat Khanum will collect hides from those who willingly want to donate hides to it and it [the charity hospital] has no links with the PTI,” he clarified.
Dawat-e-Islami
In the absence of other political players, seminaries are hoping to fill the gap. “During Eidul Fitr, we collected twice the amount of Fitra and Zakat as compared to last year,” said Talib Ayub, an activist of the religious organisation belonging to the Barelvi school of thought. “We are hopeful that the situation will remain the same on Eidul Azha and we will collect double [the amount of] hides.”
Pakistan Sunni Tehreek
Another organisation jumping on the bandwagon is Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, which has approached the authorities to allow its welfare wing, Ahle Sunnat Khidmat Foundation, to collect hides in Karachi. “This will be happening for the first time in Karachi when people of Karachi will donate their hides according to their own wishes,” said PST spokesperson Fahim Shaikh. “It seems like welfare and religious organisations, particularly seminaries, will get more hides this year.”
Jamaatud Dawa
Jamaatud Dawa is also hopeful that the organisation will collect more hides this year as compared to previous years. “People know [about] us and our humanitarian work during relief and rescue operations,” said a JuD spokesperson, asking not to be named. “As our projects have increased this year, we are hopeful that people will donate more hides to us as compared to last year.”
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat has not been allowed to participate in the race. “So far, our welfare organisation has not been given permission to collect hides so we have decided not to collect this year,” said an ASWJ spokesperson.
Darul Uloom Naeemia
Darul Uloom Naeemia, a madrassa for religious scholars, is also hoping for more collections this year. “More people of Karachi will donate their animals’ hides to the seminaries this time, if there is actually a peaceful environment,” said Mufti Munibur Rehman, who runs the seminary.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2015.
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