Hustle and bustle returns to Islamabad

Islamabad: Life has returned to normalcy in the federal capital on Monday with maximum attendance in the public and private institutions as most of the natives who left for celebrating the biggest festival of Eidul Azha with their relatives returned on Sunday and resumed their routine official engagements.

Majority of the population of Islamabad comprised of the people belonging to different parts of the country, who are settled here for job, education or business purpose, prefer to celebrate the festivals of Eid with their relatives in home towns.

The three Eid holidays from Tuesday to Thursday announced by the government compelled the officials to take leave of Friday or Monday to club weekends with Eid holidays for spending more time with their families.

Murad Ali, a resident of F-10 Markaz said, Most of the natives prefer to celebrate the religious festival of Eidul Azha in their home towns. Now, the hustle and bustle of the city is reviving after Eid with its residents coming back from their native towns”.

I managed to get leave of Monday prior to Eid holidays and Friday after Eid holidays and enjoyed long weekends this Eid. I spent maximum time with my parents making this Eid memorable one as I would get opportunity to visit them on next Eid, he said. The federal capital wears a deserted look during the two festivals of Eid as most of the natives move to their home towns to celebrate Eid with their near ones while most of the markets and restaurants also remain closed.

The educational institutions in the city have also opened after long summer and Eid vacations and students after enjoying detailed visit totheir home towns are ready to focus on their academic routine by sharing details of their Eid celebrations and participating in Eid Milan parties.

"I was excited on the first day of my school today after vacations as me and my friends participated in the ‘Eid Milan’ party by wearing Eid outfits and shared the memories with animals, said a young student, Murtaza. After enjoying so many vacations, I will be more focused on my studies now as second term examinations are near, he said.

The main markets, food outlets and restaurants of the capital remain closed which made difficult for the bachelors and on-duty staff to manage food. The public transport plying between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi was seen very limited during the Eid holidays but now the hustle and bustle of the cities has been restored with culmination of holidays.