Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated here, like other parts of the country, with traditional religious fervour in commemoration of the supreme sacrifice offered by Hazrat Ibrahim Khalilullah (AS) and his son Hazrat Ismail Zabiullah (AS) in fulfilment of the divine order.
The main Eid congregation was held at Badshahi Mosque where Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and others also offered the Eid prayers. Other main eid congregations were held in Data Darbar Mosque, Masjid-e- Shuhada, Masjid Wazir Khan, Jamia Mosque, Tehrik Minhaj ul Quran, Bagh-e-Jinnah Mosque, Karbala Gamey Shah, Islampura mosque.
Apart from this, eid congregations were held at hundreds of eidgahs and open places. Stringent security measures were adopted for security of the faithful. Security was put on high alert and policemen stood guard at important places, eidghas and mosques. Special arrangements were also made for eid prayers within the premises of all jails across the province including Lahore.
Ulema and khateeb in their eid sermons highlighted the importance and philosophy of the sacrifice and urged the Muslims to follow the teachings of Islam that call for greater unity of Muslim Ummah. Special prayers were offered for the integrity, solidarity and prosperity of the country and unity among the Muslim Ummah. They also urged the Muslims to shun petty differences, stand united and seek Allah's blessings for emancipation from all ills. Prayers were also offered for the liberation of occupied Muslim territories including Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, and peace in Afghanistan and Iraq.
After offering eid prayers, the faithful offered sacrifice of animals following the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). This year, however, buffalo was sacrificed in a good number as compared to goat, sheep, etc. The trend of collective sacrifice of animals was on the rise, a worker of Jamaat-i-Islami Khidmat-e-Khalaq Foundation said. The process of sacrificing the animals continued on Sunday and Monday. The butchers charged extra amount from the faithful.
Civic organisation had made elaborate arrangements for ensuring cleanliness and to remove the offal of the sacrificial animals. Hundreds of NGOs and social welfare bodies had set up camps to collect hides. The people also visited graveyards to pray for their loved ones. They also visited their relatives and friends to exchange eid greetings. Various TV channels vied to attract most viewer-ship by telecasting special programmes including dramas, music shows and other entertaining programmes. Hide merchants had made special arrangements in different areas for purchase of hides of sacrificial animals.