News
Monday, August 05, 2013
‘Eid stalls’ mushroom across city as shopping picks pace
By Haroon AnjumKARACHI: As the biggest religious festival for Muslims, Eid-ul-Fitr is just round the corner, shopping has started gaining momentum; people of all age groups, particularly women and children are seen busy in shopping malls, an activity that shall continue until ‘Chand Raat’. Colourful stalls, especially for Eid have been set up across various malls and markets, selling cosmetics, earrings, gleaming bangles, embroidered clothes, mehndi as well as jewellery.
As per sources of Daily Times, taking 'Eid' as an opportunity to earn extra money, traders as well as people from other professions have established well decorated stalls across roadside markets and shopping malls including Tariq Road, Hyderi Market, Model Colony, Karimabad, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Liaquatabad, Five Star Chowrangi and Samama Market etc. Beauty parlours have also made particular arrangements to expand their business; special stalls for girls have been installed to apply henna (mehndi) and sell bangles. These items are amongst the 'most sought after' things of Eid-ul-Fitr.
People while talking to Daily Times told why they prefer such stalls to others. Nazia Faisal, a customer standing at Water Pump stall market said that since malls are expensive, she loves to shop from roadside stands. "At shopping malls, the prices are too high, which are not affordable for me. I bought the same makeup stuff from here with a 30 percent discount. Inflation has already broken our backbone, and these doubled prices, even on the occasion of Eid have left us no option, but to celebrate the festival with simplicity," Nazia said.
However, shop owners are seen complaining about these roadside cubicles. Jamshed Ghaffar, a trader at Erum Shopping Mall situated in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, termed these stalls as 'intervention' in their sales. "Numerous stalls have been set-up just before my shop, which ultimately diverts the attention of my customers. This has seriously affected my income," he said. Ghaffar was of the view that he has comparatively high prices because of payments to make, ie electricity bills, shop rent and maintenance charges to the mall union. "I have high prices, but still, the quality is never compromised and is of the best," he said. Yet, stand owners are adamant that they are offering quality products at lower prices, something that benefits everyone. Umer Zahoor Khan, a stall owner in front of the same market said that even he has to pay rent to set up a stall. "I have taken a front side stall for 20 days at Rs 8,000. The mall union provided me this place, and the rent money includes all other expenditure including electricity."
Despite paying a rent, stalls have reasonable prices. "We provide the same quality stuff at low prices, and that is why, people with lower incomes come here," added Khan.
Vice President of the mall union Pervez Iqbal also spoke to the Daily Times in this regard and said that a majority of stalls belong to the shop owners themselves, while only a few are of outsiders. In reply to a query on political interventions, he categorically 'denied' any such involvements. "There is no political influence involved in the allotment of stalls to anyone. Also, electricity connections are legal," asserted Iqbal.
However, other members of the union on condition of anonymity revealed to Daily Times that the union itself does not provide any stall, and all arrangements are under control of a political party.
Moreover, they added that electricity connections are provided from closed shops such that no one could nab them; whereas some are even utilising electricity by hooks from nearby poles. KESC Spokesperson Adil Murtaza in response to this said that since these stalls are on a 'temporary basis', the company takes charges as per decided load with union consensus. He also said that a 'drive against illegal connections' is underway.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk