KARACHI - The skyrocketing prices of fruits and other essential kitchen items failed to hinder the tradition of the roadside Iftar Dastarkhwans, rapidly expanding in the metropolis during the holy month, showing the hospitality of the Karachiites. It is an event where hundreds of thousands commuters and passersby avail the facility of free Iftar. The tradition of street Iftar has now spread across the metropolis without the discrimination of cast and creed and financial status. Every part of the metropolis is witnessing hundreds of Iftar Dastarkhwans on regular basis during the entire month of Ramadan. A careful estimate suggests that thousands of small and big Iftar Dastarkhwans are set up in every Ramadan in almost all parts of the city. A rapid growth has been registered in this act of virtue in the last 4-5 years, setting a new trend in the metropolis, which otherwise is progressing in terms of street crimes, traffic jams and pollution. Though, the inflation and price-hike is at large disturbing the every person of the country, in spite of that that Karachiites did not ignore their norm of hospitality, especially in the holy month of Ramadan and continued arranging the roadside voluntarily Iftar Dastarkhwans to facilitate the passengers and deprived citizens in the city. We have started the Iftar arrangements for the commuters and ordinary people since the last two years at main water pump chowrangi on daily basis, Mohammad Tahir, office bearer of Godhra Mohammadi Anjuman, told The Nation. He said the area residents and his fellows had decided to contribute for daily Iftar dastarkhwan during Ramazan in 2007, and since then, the tradition has been continuing. He said that they have established a committee of youths and elders of the area to look after the arrangements of Iftar Dastarkhwan, adding that Iftar is arranged for more than 400 persons on daily basis. The metropolis is witnessed for hundreds of charity-based Iftar Dastarkhwans along with major roads of the city. Such Dastarkhwans are set up regularly in the city. Philanthropists, Market associations, welfare organizations and people belonging to various groups have set up their Dastarkhwans at every major street and outside the markets of the metropolis, including I.I.Chundirgar Road, M.A.Jinnah Road, Shahre-e-Faisal, Shah Wali-ullah Road, Abul Hassan Isphani Road, University Road, Shahra-e-Quaideen, Tariq Road, Zaib-ul-Nisa Street, Khayaban-e-Shamshir, Main Saba, Gizri, Sea-view, Rashid Minhas Road, Malir, Model Colony Hyderi Market, Meena Bazar Karimabad, LaloKhat, Five Star Chowrangi, Samama Market, and other areas of the metropolis. Ali Akbar Punjwani setup the Iftar Dastarkhwan at Kharadar area along with his residence near Zanabia garden. He said that they collect the money and food items from the residents who wish to contribute in this act of goodness on daily basis. He said that a majority of people who benefit from the Iftar Dastarkhwan include commuters, laborers, homeless and poor. In different localities of the city, an Iftar food box is distributed to the commuters. The volunteers distribute the Iftar food boxes in the buses, cars and other vehicles to the passengers. Its also witnessed that in different areas, Iftar camps are setup outside the mosques and people from different walks of life contribute wholeheartedly to help the needy people to earn blessing in holy month of Ramadan. Sabir Ejaz, who sets up the Iftar Dastarkhwan at Shah Faisal Colony, said that he was committing this holy norm since last four years and now all the market colleagues were sharing their contribution in this regard. Referring to the sky rocketing prices of fruits and other commodities, he said that now it has become very difficult to arrange the Iftar. But due to the support of the philanthropists and shopkeepers, they have doing it easily.