Despite loadshedding, inflation and rising temperature, Eid shoppers are high in spirit to buy accessories related to Eid and visiting various markets and shopping malls of provincial capital Peshawar. As Eid-ul-Fitr, a major Muslim ritual festival is around the corner, people, particularly women flock to bazaars and shopping malls, buy various items related to Eid, like apparels, children garments, fashion accessories and other products.
During a visit to various bazaars and markets by this scribe, it was witnessed that mostly women seem busy to get every thing for their family to celebrate Eid in befitting manner while children look more excited to celebrate the festivity in a colourful way. Despite the price-hike, people are still go for affordable or expansive things as the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr comes once in a year and people celebrate it in a festive mood, say Salman Khan, a salesman in local market. He said the constant loadshedding and rising temperature is also a hurdle for shopping during day hours, due to which mostly people prefer to go for shopping in evening as markets become crowdy in late hours.
The buyers showed their great concern about the prevalent situation of hike in prices of essentials on such occasions. The customers mostly women along with relatives and other family members thronged to bazaars eagerly for Eid shopping were seen in gloomy mood over the skyrocketing prices. The housewives were cursing the shopkeepers and the price-control and vigilance committees of the government for their negligence.
During visit of this scribe to City bazaar, Meena Bazaar, Shaheen, Qissa Khawani, Hashtangri, Jhanda bazaar, Jehangripura, dean centre, and in main Saddar Bazaar including Jinnah Street-III, Shibli Street, Gora Bazaar, Khalid Street and Liaqat Bazaar, shopkeepers said that they had displayed variety of items to attract customers but the sale is yet to get picking due to different reasons.
It was witnessed that the prices of all kind of stuffs, particularly readymade garments, shoes, and other traditional outlets, have registered an increase by 100 per cent this year as compared to last year. An ordinary readymade child-suit is being sold at Rs 1500, which was selling at Rs 700-900 before the holy month of Ramazan. Similarly, the lady footwear and shoes prices also increased manifold as low quality stuff was available not less then Rs 600-700, and Rs 1000-1500, which is beyond the purchasing power of customers.
The women shoppers while sharing their bitter experience of last year, feared these shopkeepers usually tripled the prices of all range of stuff in last days of the holy month, especially when it reached its climax on Chaand Raat. According to buyers, the rate of every item had risen at least from Rs 20 to Rs 100 as compared to previous year, and the prices were beyond the purchasing power of the customers.