ISLAMABAD: Shoppers were seen thronging markets throughout the capital, proving all gloomy prophecies predicting that the buyers would stay away from the markets because of an increased inflation rate and the floods wrong.
A day before the festival of Eidul Azha, a large number of women flocked to the markets to buy bangles, clothes and shoes for their kids and themselves.
Jinnah Super, Super Market, Karachi Company, G-10 Markaz and Aabpara Market were amongst those which were crowded the people coming for shopping especially the families to give the final touches to their eid preparation. The capital is a sight of festivity with the markets decorated with lights and buntings and the shoppers from all income groups visiting the shops and enjoying themselves on the eve of Eidul Azha.
“We always purchase new clothes, shoes, socks, ‘mehndi’, bangles and other stuff for our three children on Eid,”, said Asad Ali, a government employee shopping at Super Market. Even though floods have hit the country but children do not understand these things, he added.
Policemen were seen patrolling the markets to ensure that pickpockets and other elements disturbing the peaceful atmosphere were immediately netted. “We are here to make sure that nothing goes wrong,” a head constable, manning a market place, said
Naheed Bibi, a shopper at Karachi Company Market said she had been affected by inflation but she had to buy things and make her children happy.
Part time sellers have setup stalls on roadsides to sell items like earrings, rings, mehndi, the prices of which range from Rs10 to 20.
People complained that the prices of readymade garments were very high and blamed the shopkeepers for charging more on Eid. “We left some shopping for this night and were expecting that the prices will fall but this didn’t happen,” said a housewife, Nosheen Ahmed, who was busy in shopping at Jinnah Super Market.
Meanwhile, the parking lots in the markets remained packed to their capacity and bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed on the roads. Traffic cops were also seen lifting the vehicles for wrong parking at different shopping points in the city.
