Pindi tailors cashing in on Eid rush

Raise stitching rates to record highs as citizens lament inflation

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RAWALPINDI:

With the arrival of Ramazan and Eidul Fitr drawing closer, tailors in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have hiked stitching prices to record levels.

The surge in tailoring costs has left residents struggling to cope with the rising expenses.

Top-category tailors in the twin cities have increased the stitching charges for a shalwar kameez suit to Rs2,000, while mid-tier and lower-tier tailors are charging Rs1,800 per suit.

Many tailoring shops have posted March 20 as the final deadline for accepting new stitching orders.

Customers submitting orders after this date will have to pay an additional Rs300 per suit.

As a result of the price surge, many residents have turned to home-based female tailors, who are now charging Rs1,500 per suit.

Meanwhile, tailors have hired extra helpers and are keeping their shops open 24/7 to meet the seasonal demand. Defending the price hike, Tailors Association President Zahid Mehmood and Secretary General Chaudhry Shaukat said, "This is our peak season. The prices of buttons, interfacing fabric, and thread have risen significantly. Charging Rs1,800 is not excessive."

The association stated that stitching for women's plain shalwar kameez suits now costs Rs1,800, while customised designs with premium accessories can cost up to Rs2,000.

However, citizens have expressed outrage at the inflated rates. Chaudhry Imran, a citizen, called on the district administration to regulate tailoring prices just as they do for essential commodities like milk and groceries. He suggested that tailors overcharging customers should face legal action.

Another resident, Sajid Khan, criticised the authorities for their failure to control inflation, demanding that Rs1,000 be set as the official stitching price per suit.