MULTAN City News

Eid bazaars cancelled due to security reasons in Multan

From Nadeem Shah

MULTAN: The Multan city district government has cancelled setting up Eid bazaars in the city after failing to get security clearance from security agencies.

The city district government spokesperson said that they had planned to set up Eid bazaars in Gulgasht, Mumtazabad and Fort Qasim garden from Monday, but the plan was cancelled because of security reasons.

Meanwhile, Eid shopping has gained momentum in the city. Thousands of people, including women and children, have thronged to markets for Eid shopping. The Eid shopping remained low during the first three weeks of Ramazan, but now it has picked up pace. A huge rush of people can be witnessed at Sadr, Hussain Agahi, Bohar Gate, Kalay Mandi, Gulshan Market, Gardezi Market, Abdali Road, Bosan Road and New Multan. Despite skyrocketing prices, children and women are seen eager to buy unique designs of clothes for Eid. The number of visitors is gradually increasing in the markets and so are the sales. From midday to midnight, footpaths, makeshift sale stalls and shopping malls, illuminated to welcome Eid, have started receiving crowd, including women. The customers throng different markets of the city every day. The shops are flooded with the latest garments for males, females and children.

Small shops are found more crowded than the big shopping malls. Buyers in large numbers are crowding the shopping centres. Most of the rich buyers are crowding big shopping centres while the low-income groups are seen purchasing their desired items from city’s footpath shops.

On the other hand, the traders are of the view that higher prices and low purchasing power are reasons for sales not taking off. They claim that business is down 30 per cent as compared to the last year.

Meanwhile, shops and boutiques have marred tailors’ business in the city. Tailoring shops across the city appear to have slowly lost ground to readymade clothing stores, having latest collections of dresses. Many tailors claim they are receiving fewer orders every year.