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ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Uninterrupted rain and icy winds spoiled the Eid festivities in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Friday and Saturday.
The rain, which continued for the first two days of Eid, forced people to remain indoors. They spent most of the time cooking and eating dishes and watching television programmes on local and foreign channels.
However, despite the chilly weather, some people went out to meet and exchange Eid greetings with relatives and friends. The major parks and picnic spots, which used to be packed on Eid holidays, gave a deserted look. Chattar Park, Rawal Dam, Daman-i-Koh, Shakarparian, Ayub Park and Nawaz Sharif Park remained deserted.
The people, however, preferred to visit their relatives and exchanged Eid greetings and gifts with them. However, people thronged parks and picnic spots of the twin cities on the third day of Eid when the clear weather on Sunday came as a blessing for them. The most busiest spots were Murree, Chattar Park and Ayub Park.
A large number of people were witnessed visiting Rawal Dam enjoying boating. This time the renovated picnic spot of Daman-i-Koh also witnessed extraordinary rush. People enjoyed the beautiful scene of Islamabad city from the hilltop of Margalla range. A large number of people visited National Ayub Park while the public park on Murree Road also remained jampacked.
APP ADDS: People celebrated Eidul Azha in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and their adjoining areas with religious fervour and traditional enthusiasm by sacrificing animals to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS).
Eid congregations were held at a number of places where faithful offered Eid prayers. Later, they offered sacrifices of animals according to the sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and distributed sacrificial meat among the deserving, kin and dear ones.
President Gen Pervez Musharraf offered Eid prayers at Army Stadium in Rawalpindi. He exchanged Eid greetings with senior officials and citizens. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz along with thousands of faithful offered Eid prayers at the Faisal Mosque and prayed for prosperity, strength and stability of the country.
The prime minister then went to the President's House and exchanged greetings with President Musharraf. The prime minister exchanged Eid greetings and distributed gifts among common people and destitute.
A group of children from the SOS village also met the prime minister. He inquired about their well being and had a photograph with them. He distributed eidee among the children.
