A Warning Bell for Pakistan’s Livestock Sector

The unusual, alarming, and deeply concerning emptiness of cattle markets across Pakistan just two days before Eid-ul-Adha has created severe anxiety not only among the public but also among circles associated with the livestock sector. Every year, several days before Eid-ul-Adha, cattle markets used to present a vibrant scene of religious, cultural, and economic activity, filled with buyers, children’s excitement, traders’ voices, and sacrificial animals. This year, however, the situation is entirely different. Cattle markets established in different cities of the country appear deserted to an unprecedented extent. Citizens are searching for sacrificial animals, yet the required number of animals is simply not available. This situation is not merely a sign of temporary shortage or economic pressure; rather, it has become a frightening reflection of the silent destruction of Pakistan’s livestock sector, governmental negligence, and an approaching large-scale food crisis.

When viewed in the context of “Empty Cattle Markets Before Eid — Shakir Umar Gujjar Expresses Grave Concern Over the Devastating Crisis in the Livestock Sector,” it becomes evident that this crisis is not seasonal or temporary but points toward a deep structural problem. This situation also proves that the country’s livestock supply chain, breeding system, and policy regulations have been severely damaged. Along with declining animal production at the rural level, the increasing costs of feed, medicines, electricity, transportation, and animal care have weakened small farmers to such an extent that they are unable to maintain even their basic livestock. Consequently, the supply of animals in markets is rapidly decreasing compared to demand, directly affecting the availability of sacrificial animals.

Shakir Umar Gujjar, President of the Pakistan Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association Karachi, described the situation as extremely frightening and stated that the number of livestock animals in the country is declining at a dangerous rate, while the relevant institutions continue to remain silent. According to him, this crisis did not emerge overnight; rather, it is the result of years of flawed policies, governmental negligence, ineffective regulation, and continuous neglect of the livestock sector.

Shakir Umar Gujjar further expressed deep concern that the highly important position of the Animal Husbandry Commissioner at the federal level has remained vacant for almost the last 18 months. He stated that despite the seriousness of challenges faced by Pakistan’s livestock sector, no permanent Animal Husbandry Commissioner has yet been appointed, which clearly reflects the lack of seriousness toward this critical sector.

According to him, the prolonged vacancy of such a key position is badly affecting livestock planning, coordination, policymaking, and development across the country, particularly at the federal level where strategic decisions and national livestock initiatives require effective leadership and continuity. He warned that in the absence of strong and permanent institutional leadership, the country’s livestock sector is gradually moving toward further decline and administrative paralysis.

Shakir Umar Gujjar revealed that according to available records, nearly 10 million animals used to be sacrificed during Eid-ul-Adha in previous years, but this number has now dropped to approximately 6 million. According to him, this decline is not solely due to economic pressure but is primarily the result of a dangerous reduction in the availability of animals in the country. He stated that the required number of animals for sacrifice is no longer available, and the major reason behind this crisis is the poor and ineffective policies of all four provincial livestock departments and the Office of the Animal Husbandry Commissioner, which are directly contributing to the worsening situation.

According to Shakir Umar Gujjar, the indiscriminate slaughtering of Day Old Calves is continuing in the country, while female dry animals, heifers, milk-producing cows, buffaloes, and other dairy animals are also being slaughtered continuously.

He emphasized that these were the very animals that were supposed to become the foundation of future milk production, meat supply, and sacrificial animals, but today they are being destroyed due to economic pressure and flawed policies.

He questioned that if heifers continue to be slaughtered, where will the future milk-producing cows come from? If female buffaloes disappear, how will the livestock sector survive and progress? And if dairy animals continue to be slaughtered at the current pace, who will provide milk to the public in the coming years? According to him, if this situation persists, Pakistan may eventually be forced to import milk, meat, and even sacrificial animals in the future — a deeply alarming prospect for an agricultural country.

Shakir Umar Gujjar further warned that Punjab alone accounts for nearly 70 percent of Pakistan’s total livestock population.

Therefore, Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, should immediately take notice of this sensitive and dangerous situation and initiate emergency practical measures. According to him, if Punjab ignores this crisis, its effects will not remain limited to one province but will severely impact the entire country’s food security, rural economy, and milk and meat supply chain. This situation has now evolved from a provincial issue into a national threat that demands immediate, coordinated, and strict policy decisions.

This situation clearly proves that the government is not giving the livestock sector the importance it deserves, despite the fact that this sector serves as the backbone of Pakistan’s food security, rural economy, and agricultural economy. Millions of families in Pakistan are directly or indirectly dependent on livestock for their livelihood, employment, and daily survival. The weakening of this sector therefore does not only affect farmers but also threatens the country’s broader economic stability and food sustainability.

At present, Shakir Umar Gujjar has emerged as a strong and effective voice for Pakistan’s dairy and livestock sector. At a time when relevant institutions appear silent and policymakers continue to ignore the seriousness of the crisis, he is consistently raising the issues of farmers and the livestock sector at the national level. He is not only speaking for the betterment of the sector at every forum but is also standing at the forefront for the protection of livestock, dairy farming, food security, and farmers’ rights. His continuous struggle, courageous stance, and extraordinary commitment toward the sector are undoubtedly commendable and highly respectable.

The observations and opinions of Shakir Umar Gujjar and other experts are extremely valuable and must be seriously incorporated into policymaking because such ground realities and practical analyses can help determine the correct direction for the future.

Unfortunately, the tragic reality is that policymakers often remain disconnected from field conditions, while those who understand the sector’s real problems are rarely included in meaningful decision-making processes.

Shakir Umar Gujjar has warned that if silence continues even now, future generations will hold policymakers, relevant institutions, and silent spectators responsible for this destruction. In an agricultural country like Pakistan, the weakening of the livestock sector is no longer merely an economic issue; it is rapidly becoming a question of national survival. Today, the empty cattle markets are not simply a sign of shortage of animals; they represent a painful image of governmental failure, policy crisis, and national negligence.

This crisis must serve as a wake-up call for the state, policymakers, and relevant departments. Immediate reforms in breeding policies, strict regulation against the slaughtering of productive female animals and calves, financial relief for farmers, affordable animal feed, veterinary support, and long-term livestock development strategies are urgently required. Without serious intervention, Pakistan risks losing one of the most vital pillars of its agricultural economy.

The situation also reflects the growing disconnect between policymaking and the realities of rural Pakistan. Farmers who once considered livestock their greatest asset are now struggling merely to survive. Rising inflation, increasing production costs, lack of institutional support, and collapsing profit margins have pushed many livestock farmers toward financial ruin. If this neglect continues, not only will the livestock sector collapse further, but rural poverty and unemployment will also intensify across the country.

Today, empty cattle markets are silently telling a painful story — a story of disappearing livestock resources, exhausted farmers, policy failures, and institutional indifference. If immediate corrective measures are not taken, Pakistan may soon become dependent on other countries for milk, meat, and even sacrificial animals. For a country blessed with vast agricultural resources and a strong rural economy, such dependence would be nothing less than a national tragedy.

History will undoubtedly question those responsible if they continue to ignore the warning signs appearing today in Pakistan’s livestock sector. The time for speeches and temporary measures has passed. What Pakistan urgently needs now is a serious national livestock policy, practical reforms, institutional accountability, and sincere commitment before this silent crisis turns into an irreversible disaster.

Dr. Alamdar Hussain Malik
Secretary/Registrar,( Retired).
Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council
Former Financial Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan