Eid Shopping craze in Pakistan: Dazzling markets, stalls of mehndi, bangles and traffic jams all across the country
As Ramazan ul Mubarak entered into its third Ashra, all the people, especially women are rushing towards Bazaars for buying matching sandals, cloths, jewellery to celebrate Eidul Fitr. Eid ul Fitr, the biggest religious festival in the country, is celebrated with great zeal and fervour in Pakistan.
Shops have been beautifully decorated and colourful Eid stalls have been set up at various points offering different kinds of cosmetics earrings, gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, jewellery and dresses.
Various dealers have raised prices, where as many of them displayed sale signs to hoodwink customer’s attraction, these preparations are open announcement of Eidul Fitar arrival.
Eid shopping momentum gains pace in Karachi
The enthusiasm of Karachi residents is touching the peak to celebrate Eid ul Fitar as the ladies rushing towards markets for gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, jewellery and clothes.
Salma Siddiqui, resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, who runs a beauty parlour in the locality, said she did her shopping before Ramazan as stitching of clothes took time while in the last week her business was booming as a large number of women had sought appointments with her for various services.
Another resident of Karachi, Farhan Khan, said that shopping during Ramazan had a different feeling, but he preferred not to visit the markets during the fasting hours due to hot weather.
He said that most of the people visited markets after Iftar as weather turned pleasant at that time. “But this leads to overcrowding on roads and markets.”
The Eid season extremely busy for most of the tailor shops to sew unstitched material, a tailor in Saddar Market, Mohammad Aslam, said:
“We along with his assistants were working 24/7 to complete all the orders before the end of Ramazan, but the unannounced load-shedding was badly affecting their progress.”
Eid preparations in Peshawar
Peshawar being the capital of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa is the major shopping point of the province, however from many years the citizen couldn’t openly enjoyed Eid celebrations due to terrorism activities.
From last couple of years, we have seen many families lined up at different shops in various markets of the provincial capital Peshawar. Children, men and women are more enthusiastic in choosing new and unique design clothes to wear on the occasion of Eid.
However, with hiked sewing charges, people preferred to buy ready-made garments instead of sewing clothes, particularly for children.
A customer Said Rahman of Gulberg, “Tailors are not ready to accept orders as Eid is fast approaching.
Another customer Zafar Khan said that he belonged to a poor family and could not afford buying costly suits and thus bought six suits for three children for Rs1,200 at a sale point near Takhtu Jumaat Saddar.
An elderly trader of ready-made garments at Gol Market, Sultanat Khan, said that majority of the people preferred to buy ready-made suits available at reasonable prices.
Keeping law and order situation in the city, most of the customers were satisfied over the restoration of peace, entertaining and business activities improvement by the provincial government.
Rawalpindi and Islamabad people throng to markets
Almost all main markets of twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad flooded with crowd despite prize hiked by most of the merchants.
The people belonging to all age groups including women and children are seen busy in Eid shopping which will continue till the “Chand Raat”. Especially, aftar iftari children and women enthusiasm can be seen in choosing new and unique design clothes to wear on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.
A resident of Islamabad Inaam Ullah said,”The buyers, mostly middle class were found moving from shop to shop asking prices of goods. Buyers in larger numbers, mostly women and children, were throng to the different markets after the Iftar he said.”
A shopkeepeer Farhan Saif said,”Visitors with good salary were approaching different big shopping centres while the low-income class people are also seen purchasing their desired items from the stalls established at footpaths in the city.”
A buyer Anum Ahmed said,”The shopkeepers are seen happy due to frequent sale of their items.” The rates of children’s clothing, women dresses and kurta shalwar for men have reached sky high. Shopkeepers said most customers just come and look around, ask for prices and then leave.
Meanwhile, City traffic police claimed to have made foolproof security arrangements for the protection of the people at various shopping centres, markets and public places.
Eid Shopping gaining momentum in Lahore
With each passing day as Eid draws near, Eid Shopping is gaining momentum in the city’s major markets. But most of the markets and bazaars look vacant the whole day due to sizzling high temperature and the people start arriving for shopping after Iftar time.
Shopkeeper Babar Awan of Anarkali said that people were not coming to bazaars due to sweltering heat. “Middle and lower middleclass people come here for shopping. People prefer to come after Iftar to buy Eid stuff and avoid hot weather.”
“The real rush of buyers has yet to come,” a seasoned shopkeeper said. “At the moment, most people are just browsing or window shopping, enjoying a stroll through the market during their downtime.
On the contrary, many shoppers said they were looking for emerging fashion trends before heading to low-end markets to buy copies owing to high prices.
A shopkeeper grumbled that most customers just come and look around, ask for prices and then leave.
However, higher prices of clothes and footwear are also keeping buyers at bay. Middle-income and low-income families are really finding it difficult to buy their children Eid stuff.
Everyone in our society either middle or upper class try to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals celebrated after Ramazan with zeal and fervor and maximum arrangements are made in this regard.
Federal and provincial government agencies need to paly proactive role in the last Ashara of Ramadan ul Mabarak to control illegal price hiking, traffic congestion around the markets and keenly view law and order situation in the major cities of the country.