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Express Tribune
4 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
How we love and lost Bakra Eid
By the time Eidul Azha actually rolls around, the country has long surrendered to it. Around this time, an empty plot rarely stays that way for long – transforming into a jam-packed mandi. There, you will find people gripping goats by their mouths to inspect their teeth. (For the unaware: the goat's teeth reveal its age, with the two-toothed ones holding the highest value). On the roads, cars cautiously crawl behind the occasional herd of cows that make their way like they own the place and somehow, they do. No one bats an eye when a Suzuki drives by overflowing with animals stacked on top of each other, their limbs poking out from every possible gap. Kids run outside with bags of 'chaara' leaving a trail behind for their newly adopted goats. And of course, there is always that one cousin trying to one up everyone else, proudly boasting about how much cash they dropped on their cow or camel since a goat is simply too basic. It is loud, it is chaotic, but it is unmistakably ours. Because for many of us, this Eid is a direct line to our childhood memories. Trips to the mandi were our first introduction to the coveted phrase 'munasib lagao'. We all have a Bakra Eid story: the one goat that escaped through the neighborhood chased by a party of screaming uncles or the chachu who got smacked in the face by a panicked cow. Above all, we will never forget the dizzying excitement of waking up on Eid morning to the sound of knives being sharpened, the scent of raw meat in the air and our moms portioning out qurbani meat into plastic bags for our dads to distribute. Certainly, there is an intimacy to this Eid that has stayed with us long after the meat has been packed away. Yet, somewhere along the way, its spirit has started to fade away. For all the affection we offer our animals, it cannot be denied that we grossly overlook their comfort. Goats are tied too tightly under the harsh sun with no shade, cows stand for hours on hot concrete, and water is forgotten between rounds of eager children tugging at their ears or climbing on their backs. We decorate them in elaborate garlands and shiny bells, and laugh when they struggle under the weight as if their discomfort is part of a quirky performance. Perhaps our cruelty is not deliberate – we mean well in our excitement but it is increasingly on the edge of negligence. Qurbani for the algorithm A large part of what has changed also is that this sacred act has become entirely performative. Qurbani now arrives with a front-facing camera and animals are documented from the moment they arrive. Their pictures and videos are spammed across WhatsApp from every angle imaginable (including things no one wants to see) and posted to Instagram reels none of us can escape. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with it. In fact, much of it is, admittedly, hilarious. A goat named Pathan Khan eating biryani off a plate, another balancing between three men on a bike. However, our laughter should not negate the fact that this trend is reducing the animal to a source of entertainment, distorting the lines between sacrifice and spectacle. In doing so, it inevitably makes way for the more disturbing act of filming the Qurbani itself, with people resorting to posting pictures, full videos and even live streaming it. Which leaves us to question, who even watches those and what does that accomplish other than turning an act of worship into a sensationalised broadcast? And then there is the matter of price. In the weeks leading up to Eid, prices soar to near absurd heights. An animal becomes a status symbol, less about sacrifice and more about wanting to surpass our neighbours – and their uncles and their brothers. Sellers, knowing that people will spend whatever it takes, take full advantage of this demand, because they know one simple truth: you cannot walk away without buying. And so, a ritual that is literally about charity ends up feeling increasingly out of reach, excluding the very people it was meant to uplift. Blood, smell, and tears Unfortunately, the challenges do not end here. Most densely populated cities in Pakistan are simply not designed infrastructurally to accommodate the scale, animals or the waste that comes with Eid. And Karachi, more than anywhere else, bears the grunt of it. This part – the aftermath – may be the hardest to joke about. It neither smells or looks good when zthe remains of the animals are left to rot on the side of the roads, as we jump over them to get to our cars. To make matters worse, there is always the impending doom that the rivers of fresh blood and sewage water will meet halfway to create a pungent sludge of filth and contamination. And God forbid if it rains, the bloody waste water mixes with rainfall to create an unpleasant and foul mess to say the least. Not to mention, it stretches out already overburdened municipal services and falls on sanitation workers who are rarely paid or treated fairly. In a religion where the ethical treatment of animals and the importance of cleanliness are fundamental, it is hard to overlook the irony. Ours is a ritual meant to honour life and sacrifice – it should not, under any circumstances, disregard it in the process. To be clear, none of this is a rejection of the festival. If anything, it comes from a longing for a time we desperately ache for. Eid is still one of the few moments where the country feels connected. The endless BBQ dawats, the chaos in everyone's kitchens, the collective participation in something bigger than ourselves; these are things worth celebrating. But celebration should never come at the cost of compassion. That is also not to say that everyone is getting it wrong. There are families who treat their animals gently, butchers who work cleanly and children who are taught clearly – not just what is happening but why it matters. Simply put: Bakra Eid can be the same, if only we let it be.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Between reverence and reality: The lost spirit of Eidul Azha
By the time Eidul Azha actually rolls around, the country has long surrendered to it. Around this time, an empty plot rarely stays that way for long - transforming into a jam-packed mandi. There, you will find people gripping goats by their mouths to inspect their teeth. (For the unaware: the goat's teeth reveal its age, with the two-toothed ones holding the highest value). On the roads, cars cautiously crawl behind the occasional herd of cows that make their way like they own the place and somehow, they do. No one bats an eye when a Suzuki drives by overflowing with animals stacked on top of each other, their limbs poking out from every possible gap. Kids run outside with bags of 'chaara' leaving a trail behind for their newly adopted goats. And of course, there is always that one cousin trying to one up everyone else, proudly boasting about how much cash they dropped on their cow or camel since a goat is simply too basic. It is loud, it is chaotic, but it is unmistakably ours. Because for many of us, this Eid is a direct line to our childhood memories. Trips to the mandi were our first introduction to the coveted phrase 'munasib lagao'. We all have a Bakra Eid story: the one goat that escaped through the neighborhood chased by a party of screaming uncles or the chachu who got smacked in the face by a panicked cow. Above all, we will never forget the dizzying excitement of waking up on Eid morning to the sound of knives being sharpened, the scent of raw meat in the air and our moms portioning out qurbani meat into plastic bags for our dads to distribute. Certainly, there is an intimacy to this Eid that has stayed with us long after the meat has been packed away. Yet, somewhere along the way, its spirit has started to fade away. For all the affection we offer our animals, it cannot be denied that we grossly overlook their comfort. Goats are tied too tightly under the harsh sun with no shade, cows stand for hours on hot concrete, and water is forgotten between rounds of eager children tugging at their ears or climbing on their backs. We decorate them in elaborate garlands and shiny bells, and laugh when they struggle under the weight as if their discomfort is part of a quirky performance. Perhaps our cruelty is not deliberate - we mean well in our excitement but it is increasingly on the edge of negligence. Qurbani for the algorithm A large part of what has changed also is that this sacred act has become entirely performative. Qurbani now arrives with a front-facing camera and animals are documented from the moment they arrive. Their pictures and videos are spammed across WhatsApp from every angle imaginable (including things no one wants to see) and posted to Instagram reels none of us can escape. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with it. In fact, much of it is, admittedly, hilarious. A goat named Pathan Khan eating biryani off a plate, another balancing between three men on a bike. However, our laughter should not negate the fact that this trend is reducing the animal to a source of entertainment, distorting the lines between sacrifice and spectacle. In doing so, it inevitably makes way for the more disturbing act of filming the Qurbani itself, with people resorting to posting pictures, full videos and even live streaming it. Which leaves us to question, who even watches those and what does that accomplish other than turning an act of worship into a sensationalised broadcast? And then there is the matter of price. In the weeks leading up to Eid, prices soar to near absurd heights. An animal becomes a status symbol, less about sacrifice and more about wanting to surpass our neighbours - and their uncles and their brothers. Sellers, knowing that people will spend whatever it takes, take full advantage of this demand, because they know one simple truth: you cannot walk away without buying. And so, a ritual that is literally about charity ends up feeling increasingly out of reach, excluding the very people it was meant to uplift. Blood, smell, and tears Unfortunately, the challenges do not end here. Most densely populated cities in Pakistan are simply not designed infrastructurally to accommodate the scale, animals or the waste that comes with Eid. And Karachi, more than anywhere else, bears the grunt of it. This part - the aftermath - may be the hardest to joke about. It neither smells or looks good when the remains of the animals are left to rot on the side of the roads, as we jump over them to get to our cars. To make matters worse, there is always the impending doom that the rivers of fresh blood and sewage water will meet halfway to create a pungent sludge of filth and contamination. And God forbid if it rains, the bloody waste water mixes with rainfall to create an unpleasant and foul mess to say the least. Not to mention, it stretches out already overburdened municipal services and falls on sanitation workers who are rarely paid or treated fairly. In a religion where the ethical treatment of animals and the importance of cleanliness are fundamental, it is hard to overlook the irony. Ours is a ritual meant to honour life and sacrifice - it should not, under any circumstances, disregard it in the process. To be clear, none of this is a rejection of the festival. If anything, it comes from a longing for a time we desperately ache for. Eid is still one of the few moments where the country feels connected. The endless BBQ dawats, the chaos in everyone's kitchens, the collective participation in something bigger than ourselves; these are things worth celebrating. But celebration should never come at the cost of compassion. That is also not to say that everyone is getting it wrong. There are families who treat their animals gently, butchers who work cleanly and children who are taught clearly - not just what is happening but why it matters. Simply put: Bakra Eid can be the same, if only we let it be. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rajasthan man arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan's ISI
Rajasthan Intelligence officials said Saturday that they had arrested a Jaisalmer resident for allegedly spying for Pakistan's intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The arrest comes amid heightened tensions between the two nations following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. Officials said that during the monitoring of the strategically important and highly sensitive international border area of Jaisalmer district, the activities of the suspect, Pathan Khan, resident of Zero RD Mohangarh, Jaisalmer, were found suspicious. Officials claim that Pathan Khan went to Pakistan in 2013 where he came in contact with the officials of the Pakistani intelligence agency. 'He was lured with money and received training in espionage in Pakistan,' one official said. 'After 2013 too, Khan kept visiting Pakistan and meeting the officials of the Pakistani intelligence agency and, lured by money, he was continuously sharing sensitive and confidential information of Jaisalmer International Border with them during his meetings with Pakistani handlers and through social media.' According to sources, Khan also provided Indian SIM cards to Pakistani intelligence officials for the purpose of spying in return for money. The State Special Branch (SSB), which tracks spying activities carried out by Pakistani intelligence agencies in the state, said that Khan was interrogated by various central agencies at the Joint Interrogation Centre, Jaipur. On confirmation of the above facts, a case was registered against Pathan Khan under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and he was arrested, it said. Jaisalmer is a strategically sensitive and important area on the international border with Pakistan as there is continuous movement of the army, including military exercises, in the area.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Jaisalmer man arrested on spying charges for Pakistan: Police
Jaipur: A resident of Rajasthan's Jaisalmer was arrested on Thursday by the Rajasthan police's intelligence department for allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) for the last 12 years. 'The man, identified as Pathan Khan, had been working for the ISI since 2013. Upon receiving information from some internal sources of the department, our officers detained him on March 18 and formally arrested him on Thursday after a thorough questioning,' director general (DG) of intelligence department Sanjay Agrawal said. According to the officials, he came in contact with ISI officials when he visited Pakistan in 2013. 'The ISI officials lured him with money, and he was later also given espionage training . It was (later) found that he was in regular touch with the ISI handlers since then and had been passing sensitive confidential information from the Jaisalmer's international border area,' Agrawal said. 'He, majorly, used to pass the information through some social media platform. He was also provided some forged SIM cards. He had also constantly been paid by the ISI through various sources,' Agrawal added. When he was detained by the police on March 18, he identified himself as a farmer, Ravi Kishan, who has a field at Zero RD area of Noor-Ki-Chakki village in the Jaisalmer district. The area is close to the border area, police said. On Thursday, the police arrested him and also lodged a case under necessary sections of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 against Pathan on Thursday. 'We are probing the role of the information he passed to the ISI over the years. It is suspected he used to send videos and photos of the BSF staff and their work from the sensitive and protected area of the international border. Further investigation is underway,' said Agrawal.
NDTV
01-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Rajasthan Man Arrested For Spying For Pakistan's ISI
Jaisalmer: Rajasthan Intelligence has arrested a Jaisalmer resident, Pathan Khan, for allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), an official release said. As per an official release, authorities stated that the accused Pathan Khan visited Pakistan in 2013 and came in contact with officers of the Intelligence Agency of Pakistan. A case has been registered against the Pathan Khan under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. In Pakistan, Khan was lured with money and received training for espionage. Even after 2013, he continued meeting Pakistan Intelligence Agency officers by going there and kept sharing sensitive and confidential information related to the Jaisalmer International Border with Pakistan handlers, the press note stated. Meanwhile, amid mounting tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, villagers who live near the international border in Rajasthan are bracing for all possibilities and say they are ready to provide all assistance to the Indian Army. In some of the last villages on the Indian side before the Indo-Pak international border in Rajasthan, preparedness and patriotism continue to go hand in hand. Bunkers have already been constructed to shelter both civilians and security forces in the event of a military escalation, say locals in these villages. The presence of the Indian Army in the region serves as a constant reminder of the state of preparedness. Locals in the area condemned the April 22 Pahalgam killings and urged the government of India to retaliate accordingly to the situation. Speaking to ANI, Arjun Singh, a local villager, said, "It is absolutely necessary to respond to Pakistan. They keep provoking us, and what they did in Pahalgam, killing unarmed civilians, is unacceptable. The army must strike back." The elderly man recalled the 1971 war, stating, "I was in Ramgarh when bombs were falling. Back then, we helped the army in every way possible. Today also, we are ready to assist, no matter the hardship." Meanwhile, the Pakistani military is continuing its build-up on the borders with India and has deployed air defence and artillery units at forward locations. The Pakistan Air Force is currently conducting three exercises simultaneously: Fiza-e-Badr, Lalkar-e-Momin, and Zarb-e-Haidari. These exercises involve all major fighter aircraft fleets, including the F-16, J-10, and JF-17. On Tuesday, the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan talked over the hotline to discuss the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan, defence sources said on Wednesday. They said India warned Pakistan against the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control (LOC) and the International Border. The Indian Army has effectively responded to the Pakistan Army's unprovoked small arms firing across the Line of Control (LoC). The Army responded swiftly to the ceasefire violation on the night of April 27-28 in areas opposite Kupwara and Poonch districts in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Tension have escalated between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
