The people are making final preparations to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with traditional zeal and fervour.
Eid shopping has reached its peak as large crowds, especially women and children thronged markets and shopping malls including Jinnah Super Market, Aabpara, F-10 Markaz, Karachi Company bazaars, shopping for clothes, shoes, bangles, Henna, cosmetics, jewellery and Eid cards.Shopkeepers have set up various mehndi and bangle stalls as women would visit these stalls in great numbers during the eve of Eid.
However, some people have expressed disappointment over the price hike preventing them to purchase items of their choice. Makeshift stalls of clothes and shoes including other items on cheaper rates is the only alternative left for the less privileged.
A customer, Shoaib Ahmed while shopping for a shirt at a roadside stall in Commercial Market Rawalpindi said, “I cannot afford to buy from shops as they are too expensive.” He said that the rapidly increasing prices of essential items such as clothes is now out of range for an ordinary person. “I know that the quality of such clothes is not up to the mark but I have no other option as I want to wear new clothes on Eid,” he added.
Moreover, makeshift stalls are not only attracting the lower class but the upper middle class as well due to low prices. “Everyone has to shop for Eid but according to their pocket as prices are already sky high,” said Kamran Khan while purchasing shoes on sale from a stall. He said that such stalls are a blessing for the poor as they are less concerned about fashion and more about price.
Meanwhile, proper security arrangements have been made by the authorities and policewomen have also been deployed at various shopping centres, markets and public places. Plain clothes police officials have been deployed at sensitive areas and closed-circuit cameras have been installed in busy bazaars, parks and public places.
Similarly, the Traffic Police have also finalised a traffic plan to avoid traffic jams in busy commercial areas of the capital.