People return to capital after Eid: Offices see full attendance, shops reopen

Islamabad: Life appeared to have returned to normal in the federal capital as employees of government and private offices on Monday resumed work and traders reopened shops after Eid ul Azha holidays.

The government had announced Eid break for three days only, including last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. However, thin attendance was reported in offices on last Friday as most staff members availed themselves of the annual leaves for the last working day of the week to make the maximum of the Eid celebration. The others absented themselves from duty without permission.

Most shops remained closed and little vehicular traffic was seen. However, the offices witnessed almost full attendance on Monday, while all shops and restaurants threw their doors open to customers after the Eid holidays. Tandoors also reopened and the transporters put vehicles back on the roads.

Little work was done by employees on their first day on duty after Eid break. They spent most of their office time chatting away about their Eid-related activities, coronavirus pandemic, and national politics, especially results of Sunday’s AJK elections.

Most of them had gone either to native areas to celebrate Eid with families or tourist places. Normalcy in offices is likely to return today (Tuesday). Most shopping centres and main markets including Islamabad’s Aabpara, Melody, Super Market, Super Jinnah, F-10 Markaz and Karachi Company, and Rawalpindi’s Commercial Market, Satellite Town, Murree Road, Saddar, Sarafa Bazaar and Raja Bazaar also reopened.