Eateries make the most of JI sit-in

Owners of shops, eateries and stalls situated in and around Liaquat Bagh Chowk have extended timings of shops and kiosks and are making good bucks because of the ongoing week-long sit-in by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

Hotels, food stalls, cigarette shops, juice corners, fast food points, biryani pulao stalls, barber shops, general stores and other shops in and around Liaquat Bagh, Liaquat Road, China Market, College Road, Arya Mohalla Bazaar, Murree- Road Liaquat Bagh to Committee Chowk are now open between 11am and till Fajr time instead of opening at 9am and closing at 10pm. The business reaches its peak from noon to 3pm at all these points.

Where shopkeepers dealing with food businesses are seen praying for the continuation of the sit-in, others like auto mechanics and traders of surgical instruments, garments and crockery shops have started praying for an early end of the sit-in.

Farast Abbasi, who runs a cigarette shop, says that his income has increased by 50% since the start of the JI’s sit-in, while Ahmad, a food and drink seller, says his business has almost doubled as he has to bring curry twice from home.

According to a hotel owner, he has started keeping his hotel open round the clock due to the sit-in as tea is being served throughout the day and in late hours and breakfast is being served from 7am to 12pm.