SWAT, Oct 13: Growing militancy and violence have eclipsed preparations for Eidul Fitr here, with the number of women shoppers showing a notable decline.

Markets, which in recent years were thronged by women, this year had to do without the hustle and bustle of the Eid season.

“The deteriorating law and order situation has badly damaged our business and we have now been receiving fewer women customers,” said a shopkeeper in the Cheena Bazaar, situated in the heart of Swat and famous for shopping by women.

He said that tourism, which proved to be a major source of livelihood for the Swat people, had almost ceased to exist and the number of local shoppers was also on the decline.

Most of the shopkeepers in the markets have already received threatening letters from local the Taliban militants who asked them to discourage women shoppers.

The only tradition that has remained unchanged here is the celebration of Eidul Fitr on the day notified for the purpose by the federal government.

This year too the festival would be celebrated on Sunday even though many central districts of the NWFP celebrated Eid on Saturday. Since Swat was a princely state, the people here celebrate the Eid festival with the central government.

While some of the markets were showing some signs of activity on Friday, women were seen in fewer numbers.

Video and CD centres and shops, which normally release new dramas and films on the occasion of Eid, were closed due to continuous bomb blasts targeting these outlets. Only those shops were open which dealt in religious CDs.

A leading hotel here has also abandoned its annual practice of arranging ‘Chand Raat’ activities for women. Every year shopkeepers used to set up stalls in the hotel, selling bangles, henna and clothes to women.

A beauty parlour run by the hotel was also closed a month ago after receiving threatening letters from unidentified local Taliban militants. Another beauty parlour, Mehak Beauty Parlour, situated in Sangota area had also received threats from supporters of a local cleric, Maulana Fazlullah.

Three days ago a volunteer force of the cleric had damaged the board of the beauty parlour during a routine patrolling.

On the occasion of Eid, one of the two cinemas has decided to screen a Pashto movie. The two cinemas have not been operational for the past couple of months because of the growing threat posed by local Taliban.

Scared of any backlash from the militants, the cinema management has not displayed any publicity banner or poster anywhere in the city and has instead pasted a small information note inside the cinema house.

As the population here were expecting Eid to fall on Saturday, a majority of the people had done their shopping by that day. This was another reason why the place presented a deserted look on Saturday.