RAWALPINDI, Aug 17: The shopping malls and bazaars of the garrison city are buzzing with crowds as Eidul Fitr shopping is touching its peak as it remained dull for the last two weeks.

The traders have decorated the shopping malls with lights and flowers to attract customers and traffic police have made special measures to keep traffic flowing.

Shoppers have thronged main shopping centres including Bank Road, City Plaza, Shahbaz Plaza, Chota Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Bara Bazaar, China Market, Rabi Centre, Commercial Market, Dubai Centre and Benazir Bhutto Road.

Great rush is seen at the shops of ready-made dresses, shoes, ornaments, cosmetics, bangles and other articles. The popular shoes outlets are also drawing a large number of customers.

The city’s tailors told Dawn that most of them had started working behind closed doors to complete the orders. “We have stopped taking orders after Ramazan 15,” said Mohsin, a tailor at the Chaklala Scheme-III Commercial Market.

However, most of them lashed out at the government for frequent power outages as it created hurdles. “We failed to book maximum number of orders as compared to last year due to electricity load shedding,” he said and added they were using manual stitching machines. Bridal fashion designers are also busy in creating new designs, as Eid will be followed by the wedding season. Some people engaged halls soon after the third day of Eid for the marriage ceremony.

Bridal Dress designers at Benazir Bhutto Road, Moti Bazaar, Commercial Market and Bharia Town said that the designing of Eid clothing usually completed before Ramazan because during the month, the designers focused on the coming wedding season.

While talking to this reporter, the women at bazaars at Bharia, Scheme-III, Westridge and Sixth Road said that they had already completed their shopping for Eid clothing. However, the women from other areas, especially the salaried class, said they wereselecting the items which would be available at reasonable price and latest designs.

Nighat Iqbal, a housewife said she had not yet started her Eid shopping because her husband had only just received his salary.

She said that she would focus on shopping for her children first and would buy something for herself if she had any money leftafter that.

Mrs Kamran Raja, a housewife, said that she had completed her shopping but left bangles and mehndi for Chand Raat. “I don’t like to go to bazaar late night on Chand Raat but her children wanted to enjoy the hustle and bustle,” she said. Malik Rafique, an owner of a garment shop at Moti Bazaar, said that he was working till late night for the last four to five days.

Nawazish Khan, a shopkeeper at Bank Road, said people were visiting the bazaars for the last two to three days late in the night.

He said mostly people visited the bazaars for window-shopping only. He said his business was down as compared to the last year.