PESHAWAR: The packs of loafers continue to flood the busy shopping centres in the provincial capital spoiling the festivities of Eid shopping which have picked up momentum despite soaring prices, humid weather and security threats.

During a visit to various bazaars, particularly University Road, Cantonment and Meena Bazaar, Karimpura, Shaheen Bazaar, Jehnagirpura, in the downtown city, it was observed that with four days left to Eidul Fitr, the shopping gained momentum despite the high prices of garments, shoes, bangles and other items.

However, an unprecedented phenomenon, that struck most of these bazaars and shock the shoppers and their families, are the activities of the gangs of eve-teasers in these bazaars.

These loafers fear none while harassing the women who are shopping for Eid in these bazaars, particularly Shafi Market, Gora Bazaar (Liaqat Street) and streets designated for ladies wears, henna and bangles.

On Sunday night there was a kind of incident perpetrated by one such vagabond that shocked every one at the bazaar. A loafer looking boy caressed a woman in Saddar. She ignored him for avoiding any trouble, but the boy followed her that irked the woman who eventually called her brother for help. However, the boy disappeared and some of his accomplices were still standing there giggling at the entire happening.

Most of the shopkeepers complained that majority of women shopping in these traditional markets suffer at the hands of these eve-teasers on the streets during last week of Ramazan when rush reaches its peak. Many of the women shopping here hold to values and save their dignity by ignoring the harassment by these gangs, they said.

Mostly these gangs consist of half a dozen young men strolling around touching women and sometimes blocking their passages causing trouble to them, one of the shopkeepers said.

When the matter was brought into the notice of Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran President Sharafat Ali Mubarak by this scribe, he said that they had already requested the police authorities, but so far lady police beat for the night duty had not been provided. “We have hired two private guards, but they couldn’t stop these boys whose flocks turned up only for eve-teasing in the markets,” he added.

As Ramazan slowly drifts towards its end, flocks of customers have also thronged the markets for Eid shopping while the shopkeepers have also increased prices of readymade garments, artificial jewellery, bangles, cosmetics, etc to gain enough profit. Great rush of people was witnessed in the Saddar and in the shopping plazas on the University Road on Monday night. Despite high prices, children and women eagerly continued to shop for Eid.

Farid, a salesman at a garments shop, however, said that shopping spree was still low due to high prices and low purchasing power. But a baby garments merchant, Ali said, “It was so so. People are now buying things.”

Sharafat Ali Mubarak put increase in prices at 30 to 40 percent that has been driven by increase in cost of production.It was observed that prices of ladies cotton suit which was tagged at Rs2,500 about 15 days ago now priced at Rs3,000 at Saddar markets. Those offering discount at the advent of Ramazan have also withdrawn it four days ahead of Eid.

The shopkeepers are selling readymade Shalwar Kameez suit for men at Rs1,500 to Rs5,000 each of average quality while local Charsadda chappal which was last year priced Rs1000 are now selling at Rs1500 to Rs1800 at the cantonment and University Road shops.Similarly, the prices of items including bangles, cosmetics have also increased by 30 to 40 percent in the last week of Ramazan that robbed the costumers of purchasing power.

Sultan, a government servant, who was shopping at Gora Bazaar along with his two daughters and wife, said that Eid shopping was nothing less than a luxury for them. “I will buy something for my daughters, while we both have not shopped for ourselves on Eid for the last three years. “I get only Rs20,000 salary and how can I afford to buy new clothes for the whole family when the price of a set of bangles for my two-year-old girl is Rs130,” he said.

Source: The News