November 18, 2003	Tuesday	Ramazan 22, 1424

KARACHI, Nov 17: With the Eid approaching fast, shopping spree in the city has gained momentum, amid heavily encroached upon footpaths at various major shopping centres.

Police stations and the land department officials in various town administrations have allowed vendors to do business on footpaths at the shopping centres reportedly after accepting illegal gratification.

The size of footpaths at various shopping centres has been reduced considerably owing to presence of a large number of vendors on either side of the roads, thus forcing the women shoppers to walk along with men.

Such a situation has provided a golden opportunity to eve- teasers and other anti-social elements who have developed expertise in snatching cellular phones and handbags from shoppers, remarked an elderly man, adding the worst suffers are the women who come for shopping along with their children.

Besides, a number of sidewalks have literally been turned into food streets, compelling the pedestrians and shoppers to walk on roads, amid vehicular traffic.

In a city where various footpaths and streets have either completely vanished or often remain heavily encroached upon by vendors and pushcarts, a large number of fast-food outlets and barbecue shops have sprung up during Ramazan, leaving little space for pedestrians or shoppers to walk without any hindrance.

Brisk shopping activities nowadays continue till 2.30am at various major shopping centres, such as Bohri Bazaar, Zainab Market, Tariq Road, Jamia Cloth, Haidery Market, Liaquat Market, Malir, Nazimabad’s market, Shon Circle and Zamzama markets, Meena Bazaar Karimabad, Bazaar-i-Faisal, F. B. Area’s Water Pump Market, Landhi’s Babar Market and several other main markets of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Orangi and Korangi, etc., which remain open till 3am.

Main roads at various shopping centres have been illuminated and traders’ associations have set up camps from where announcements are made, asking the shoppers to beware of those who pick pockets.

Although as part of security measures, extra police force has been deployed at busy commercial centres, along with the Rangers and policemen in civvies, incidents of pick pocketing are on the rise and often go unnoticed.

SIZZLING STOVES: Most of the roadside fast-food outlets and barbecue shops, on the one hand, have kept sizzling stoves and, on the other, placed tables and chairs on the remaining portion of footpaths for serving their customers. Shoppers and pedestrians fear that they and their children might become victim to such sizzling stoves.

Such dangerous activities on the part of fast-food restaurants and barbecues could be seen at Shahrah-i-Liaquat, Burnes Road, Saddar, main commercial area of PECHS Block 2, Jamia Cloth market, Hussainabad and near Aisha Manzil roundabout.

As far as pavements of two busy markets of Karimabad — Meena Bazaar and Faisal Bazaar — are concerned, these have literally vanished as the Gulberg Town administration which is supposed to ensure clean footpaths has sold the footpaths to vendors by setting up cabins on pavements on both sides of the road.

Women visiting the Meena Bazaar and Bazaar-i-Faisal could be seen walking in a zig-zag manner as besides the unlawfully built shops, a large number of vendors have illegally occupied middle portion of the footpaths.

Besides, pedestrians have no choice but to walk on roads amid heavy vehicular traffic at Karimabad where two college girls and a motorcyclist were crushed to death by a mini-bus last year.