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Eid-ul-Fitr today

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The nation will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday with traditional gaiety and fervent gratitude for the blessings of Allah solemnly expressed at Eid prayers at more than 750 mosques in Karachi and in thousands of other besides, Eidgahs, parks, gardens and open places throughout the country.

The main Eid congregation in Karachi will be held at Bagh-e-Quaid-e-Azam (old Polo Ground), where Sindh Governor Azim Daudpota will offer prayers and receive Eid greetings from other Namaziz. High ranking civil and military officials, diplomats, and prominent citizens will also offer prayers at the Bagh-e-Quaid-e-Azam.

Main prayer in Lahore will be held at Badshahi Mosque, whereas, in Islamabad the main prayer will be held at Shah Faisal Mosque.

Eid shopping continued till late in the night and all the main bazaars of ready-made garments, shoes, artificial jewellery, henna shops, beauty parlours, sweetmeat and nimko marts, bakeries, and shops of other eatables remained crowded for most of the night. Prices of daily use articles remained stable throughout Ramazan, but vegetables and fruits were not freely available on Saturday, allegedly because of the closure of Sabzi Mandi for Eid holidays.

Shops selling milk and curd had, however, drew their shutters a bit earlier than other shop-keepers as they sold out their products by the end of Isha prayers.

Generally the ready-made garments for men, women and children and shoes maintained their pre-Eid prices were beyond the reach of middle income group population.

Realising the hardship of common men some of the branded ready-made garment sellers had offered discount, specially for kurta-kameez suits.

Contrary to branded ready-made garment sellers, the branded shoes shops did not reduce their prices. However, equally good in quality and guaranteed for its durability, many of the famous shoe-shops did entertain bargaining and reduced their prices to suit the purchasing capacity of their customers.

The names in the boutique rat race were the centres for fleecing customers visiting them from posh areas of Defence, Clifton, KDA Scheme No.1, Bath Island and part of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal areas. Many a nouveau riche were, however, less bothered about the prices and provided easy target for the boutique owners.

As the trend increases, more good-looking, fair complexioned and fluent in English girls could be seen selling their products to these customers. These girls, in many cases students, are employed by these boutiques on monthly

salary-cum-commission. They prove very shrewd saleswomen.

The city administration had made adequate arrangement to regulate traffic and check crime at such places as electronic market, Saddar, Zaibunnissa Street, Tariq Road, Bara Market, M. A. Jinnah Road, Kamleen Cloth market, Kazim Raza Cloth Market, Light House old clothes market, Haidry Market, Boulton Market and many other markets in all the five districts of Karachi.