Milad prep lifts demand for white attire

Demand for white shalwar kameez, waistcoats, caps and tent services surges in Pindi

RAWALPIDI:

With Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) approaching, offices of small Milad committees have opened in streets and neighbourhoods across the city, where recitation of Durood Pak has begun.

Meanwhile, demand and sales of white suits, black waistcoats, caps of different colours, flowers and tent-service items have increased significantly in the open market.

Tailors across the city are also benefiting from the increased demand.

Office-bearers of neighbourhood Milad committees have started ordering white shalwar kameez for participation in Milad processions on the day of the celebrations. Tailors have also increased stitching charges.

Members of Milad committees said white shalwar kameez suits had been selected for participation in Milad processions, with black, yellow and green waistcoats to be worn with them.

The purchase of shalwar kameez suits has also increased. White cloth has run out at neighbourhood cloth shops and has been ordered again.

Tailors have also started working late into the night to stitch white suits, while prices of ready-made white suits in the open market have also been increased due to higher demand.

White shalwar kameez suits are being prepared for children, adults and young people for the Milad celebrations.

Central Milad Committee vice president Hamza Abbasi said white shalwar kameez suits and green waistcoats were being prepared for all members of his committee and their children.

"We will participate in the central city Milad procession with our Milad procession from Committee Chowk Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh. Members of all Milad committees will participate wearing identical suits and waistcoats," he said.

Shopkeepers selling white suit cloth are charging Rs300 to Rs500 more than usual. Similarly, stalls selling caps of different types and colours have been set up in markets for the Milad celebrations, with their prices also increased.

Members of Milad committees are placing orders for two to three dozen caps.

City Tailors Union Secretary General Fayyaz Hashmi said the stitching of shalwar kameez increased during small Eid and Eid Milad, while work was 50 to 60 per cent lower during the big Eid.

He said more white suits were stitched for Eid Miladun Nabi and they were charging Rs1,800 to Rs2,000 for stitching. "This is the Eid Milad-un-Nabi season, therefore we have increased the stitching rates."

The purchase of ready-made white suits for children has also increased.

 

box

Caterers jack up prices ahead of Eid Milad

 

our correspondent

RAWALPINDI. Food caterers and shops preparing food across the city have increased prices of all types of rice-based food cauldrons because of Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH).

Prices of rice, spices, small and large meat, chicken, chillies, tomatoes and ghee have also increased in the open market due to demand for tabarruk and niyaz during the Milad celebrations.

Food caterers have also increased their labour charges. Despite this, citizens continue to place orders for the preparation of cauldrons for Miladun Nabi langar.

Hotels, food outlets and caterers are providing a cauldron of vegetable biryani for Rs11,000, chicken biryani for Rs12,500, mutton biryani and mutton pulao for Rs27,000 to Rs30,000, beef biryani and pulao for Rs19,000, chickpea rice for Rs12,000, chicken qorma for Rs12,500 and haleem for Rs25,000 for the Milad celebrations.

Orders for cauldrons continue to be placed because of Milad langar.

Food Catering Shops Union Secretary General Arshad Abbasi said prices of ghee, tomatoes and chicken meat had increased in the open market.

He said good-quality rice had reached Rs400 per kilogramme, with Rs4,000 being spent on rice alone. The prices of spices had increased by 300 per cent over the past three months.