ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: Thousands of people thronged the two-day ‘All About Lifestyles’ exhibition which opened at the Jinnah Convention Centre here on Saturday. Organized by the Dawn Group of Newspapers the exhibition has become an annual event which citizens of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore where it is held eagerly look forward to.

This year’s event was seen as an effort to bring cheer back into the life of the people depressed by the October 8 massive earthquake.

A large number of people had gathered at the exhibition site much before its scheduled opening at 10am and the crowd did not subside until 10pm, when the exhibition was closed formally to reopen on Sunday morning.

More people are expected to visit the exhibition on Sunday than did on Saturday, a working day.

The exhibition has assembled under one roof all the major brands that inspire and add to the lifestyles of the Pakistani consumers. The day was a shopping marathon for women as almost all the stalls had slashed their prices by 20 to 50 per cent.

“I don’t know how to resist this offer. They are offering one free at buying two”, said Sadia, a working woman. She said she was on the shopping spree for two hours but the attractive offers, specially the concessions on cosmetics and garments, were tempting her to stay on.

Children were seen spinning their tops in the “Battle of the Beyblades” and rushing to their parents gleefully after winning a competition.

Sara Ahmed, a mother of three, said her children were really enjoying playing at the “Adventure Jungle”, the playing area for the children. She said she left her children “in the jungle” and herself went on a long shopping trip in the exhibition grounds.

Amina Habib, another mother, said there were few spots in the federal capital where parents could take their children to have fun. The exhibition filled that need, though temporarily.

Since entry to the exhibition was free, families loved to come.

The “Art Gallery” did not just display art works — and somber photographs of the earthquake and its victims — but also offered ”budding artists” among the visitors the opportunity to draw and paint on the spot.

The oil colour paintings of Rifat Khattak provided a window to the cultural elegance and the wealth of nature this part of the Sub-Continent enjoys. Done on hand-made paper, Khattak’s work come from the hands of a professional artist with deep insight in the rural society.

Besides, Adila Asiya’s still life paintings finished in oil colour on canvas, the exhibition showcased some quality pieces by Ahmed Habib, Nasreen Orangzeb and Ijaz Khan.

“These paintings not only show the hidden potential of the Pakistani artists but the grand culture and civilization this land has been enjoying over the centuries”, said Margaret Smith, a foreign visitor.

She said the exhibition had provided an opportunity to the dwellers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to take their families and friends to a place where one could see some smiling faces. Otherwise, she said, the capital had been giving a deserted look after the recent earthquake.

The stall set up by the Cultural Consulate of the Embassy of the Iran was selling various items including books and CDs. The visitors took keen interest in that stall because the money collected through the sale of these items would go to the earthquake survivors.

The food corner offered traditional and fast food and remained a much-occupied place throughout the day. The visitors tasted the cuisine of NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Kashmir. In the night couples could be seen enjoying coffee in the food corner and, of course, listening to some hit tracks from ‘City FM 89’.

Egyptian dishes were available at a stall set up by the cultural wing of the Egyptian embassy.

The German Shepherd Championship Dog Show remained the focal point of attention for the dog lovers.

The All Breed Championship Dog Show will be held on Sunday and will bring out the best of the canine family in Islamabad and its surroundings.

The security system and management of the exhibition was much appreciated by the visitors. Despite the presence of large number of people, there was hardly any sign of rush or mob. All the people displayed civil manners and followed the arrows that showed them the way to specific displays at the exhibition.