Eidul Fitr: Zoo, parks attract large crowds

Major congregations held at Badshahi Masjid, Data Darbar, Masjid-i-Shuhada, Bagh-i-Jinnah and Gaddafi Stadium.

LAHORE:

The City Traffic Police on Wednesday shut off parts of The Mall to vehicular traffic and diverted traffic to adjoining roads to ease the rush of visitors at the Lahore Zoo.

The measure, however, resulted in a traffic jam.

The zoo was one of the biggest attractions during the three-day Eid holidays. People also thronged parks, restaurants, cinemas and Joy Land at Fortress Stadium.

Millions of people offered Eid prayers at about 1,000 venues across the city. The biggest Eid congregation in the city was at Badshahi Mosque where Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa also offered prayers. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif offered Eid prayers at Raiwind.

Eid prayers were also held at Data Darbar, Masjid-i-Shuhada, Masjid Wazir Khan, Minhajul Quran, Bagh-i-Jinnah and Gaddafi Stadium.

Strict security measures were adopted to avert any untoward incident. Mobile phone services were suspended for 14 hours.

Hospitals and Rescue 1122 officials said that a man had died and eight people were injured while one-wheeling on Canal Road, Link Road, Upper Mall and in Muslim Town, Liberty, Mughalpura and Faisal Town. The deceased was identified as Owais, a resident of Ferozewala, who was critically injured after falling from his motorcycle while one-wheeling on GT Road. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Police identified four of the injured as Waseem, Naeem, Rizwan and Shahid.

Shias observe Eid as ‘day of mourning’ 

Members of the Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, a Shiite group, observed Eid as a day of mourning on the appeal of its leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. Abbas had given the call over crimes against Shias in Pakistan. Major Shia Eid congregations took place at Nasser Bagh, Karbala Gamay Shah, Samanabad, Shalimar Town, Model Town, and Jamia Mosque, Ichhra. After offering prayers, the Shias protested by blocking adjoining roads. Haider Ali Mirza, who led the prayers and protest at Nasser Bagh, said that Shias were being targeted across the country. He alleged that government institutions were also condoning terrorism against them. He said the Supreme Court’s “silence on the issue” was proof of prejudice in state institutions. He also demanded assurances of civil rights and security for Shias in Gilgit and Baltistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2012.