City wakes up with election hangover

Streets wore a deserted look as many choose to stay home

LAHORE: The busy city life of the provincial capital did not return to normalcy as many residents chose to take a day off after a busy election.

The city streets wore a deserted look on Thursday as many citizens choose to stay indoors and sleep-off the day. Many others were still glued to their television sets to explore the latest results of the elections.

Muhammad Javaid, a businessman, said he spent Election Day outside the polling station with friends and neighbours. Later, he eagerly awaited the results.

“It was like a festival and people were excited. This election, there was a lot of interest among the people, unlike any previous polls.”

He said he headed back home only after the result was announced from his area polling station. “I went back home and spent the night the watching television to see who won,” he said.



“It was natural to come late to work today [Thursday] after the previous day and night,” Javaid said he opened his business late in the afternoon and there was little activity due to the few number of customers.

He hoped that business would pick up later in the day. “The elections will be over when a government is formed,” he remarked.

Public and private offices also witnessed little activity as a large number of people did not go to work.

Sabiha Safdar, a banker, said there was little attendance at her office as many took the day off. She believed that many would stay home for the remaining two weekdays.

She said there was also little activity in her bank and it was a sluggish work day. Government offices also saw little attendance along with businesses, which also took a slow start on Thursday as many shops and markets in the city opened late.

Muhammad Kamran, a government employee, also shared similar sentiments. He said he skipped work because he was too tired. “I was up all night as this was a nail-biting contest and still things are not clear. As anticipated, the results were delayed and are still not in. Things might change in the working of the government, and my office, after the new government takes over.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2018.