RAWALPINDI - Like others parts of the country, Pindites celebrated Eidul Fitr on Monday with great religious zeal, enthusiasm and festivity. The biggest Eid congregation was held at Liaqat Bagh whereas small Eid congregations took place at more than 170 places of the city. On the occasion, people offered special prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country and unity of the Ummah. After offering the Eid prayers, people hugged each other and conveyed Eid greetings. People spent their time feasting with family and friends and feeding the poor people. The elders also gave eidi to the children. Sweets like Kheer, sevian, sheerkhurma and halwa, and other special dishes were prepared for serving the guests. People also exchanged gifts on the occasion. A number of people also visited the graveyards, laid floral wreaths on the graves of their relatives and offered Fateha for their departed souls. The print media published special supplements while electronic media broadcast a series of special programmes on the occasion of Eidul Fitr highlighting the significance of the day. Most of the families went to their ancestral towns and villages to celebrate Eid with their loved ones. The shopping malls and bazaars remained closed while the busiest roads of the city were presenting a deserted look on first and second days of the Eid. A great public rush was witnessed in almost all public parks included Zia Park, Ayub Park and Public Park (Shamsabad) in the city as in evening a number of families thronged the parks where they spent some time. Public transport also remained off the road and drivers of rickshaws and taxi cabs, while taking advantage of absence of public transport, minted money from the passengers. The main shopping malls and bazaars of the city remained closed on first and second days of the Eid while people had to buy basic items like vegetables and fruit from vendors and hand push cart owners on high rates. However, Mithai shops were open round the clock and people bought sweets to double the happiness of Eid. After seeing the Shawwal moon, people swarmed the markets and Eid bazaars of Tench Bhatta, Saddar, Raja Bazaar, Commercial Market, Sadiqabad, Lalkurti and Dhama Mor for shopping. Women and girls crowded the beauty parlours and shops, selling bangles and mehndi. Till late night people were busy in shopping in the markets. The Punjab government had cancelled the Eid holidays of doctors, paramedical staffs and police officials to tackle any kind of emergency on the occasion of Eid. Rescue 1122 remained on alert and gave a quick response to the public calls regarding minor and serious accidents in the city. On Chaand Raat, a hit and run car accident occurred at Dhama Mor in which the leg of a old man Nazir was fractured. Rescue 1122 ambulance, on the call of a local, reached the scene within minutes and shifted the patient to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) for medical treatment. Moreover, City Traffic Wardens (CTW) did their job well by easing the traffic flow on the busiest roads of the city on Chaand Raat. People appreciated their efforts. The city police, following the directives of Regional Police Officer (RPO) Aslam Tareen and City Police Officer (CPO) Rao Muhammad Iqbal Khan, adopted foolproof security measures on the occasion of Eidul Fitr. Policemen both in uniform and civvies had been deputed outside the bazaars, shopping centres and sensitive public and private buildings. Strict security measures had also been adopted outside Eidgahs while police kept patrolling.