DERA GHAZI KHAN-Preparations to celebrate 71th Independence Day of Pakistan have reached at its peak with great enthusiasm across the district after the victory of PTI in South Punjab in general elections.
This year, sales of flags, buntings, badges and other goods began after 25th July general elections. The people of South Punjab are happy on the victory of PTI because PTI has became largest victorious political party in South Punjab and people are celebrating 71th I-Day like a first day of New Pakistan.
The sale of Independence Day-related items has increased in the city as the buyers thronged the stalls to show their patriotic fervour. Vendors have set up more than 150 stalls at almost every small and big market in the city, especially Sadar Bazaar, College road, Liaqat Bazaar, Quaid-e-Azam road, Pakistani chowk, chowk Churatha, Pull Dat, and Traffic Chowk where people of all age groups especially children are busy buying these items and clothing apparel to show their love for Pakistan.
Stalls are loaded with flags, T-shirts with trousers, bangles, badges, wrist bands, caps, hats, face masks, glasses, balloons, ladies bags, nail polish of green and white colour, long serviette, pictures of national heroes especially Qauid-i-Azam and Imran Khan, colourful buntings, special stickers inscribed with messages of I-Day and CDs of national songs, etc.
Danial Pash, a student of BSc Agriculture has established a stall in Sadar Bazaar, he told The Nation that he has spent fifty thousand to set up this stall. He is paying one hundred rupees daily rent of this wooden stall.
“Due to price competition profit margin is very narrow in this years. glasses are being sold from Rs. 20 to Rs.250, badges are price of Rs. 10 to Rs. 100, and national flag are being sold from Rs. 100 to Rs. 800. T-shirts are being sold from Rs. 120 to Rs. 400. A packet of 100 colourful buntings is being sold at Rs. 10 per packet” he added.
“This year mostly merchandise related to I-Day are not manufactured in Pakistan, they are made in China,” a trader Shahid said.
He said besides traditional local items, traders have imported huge quantities of decoration products from China.
These products are specially designed and manufactured for Pakistan’s I-Day and are being supplied to the entire country from Lahore Urdu Bazaar. All the vendors are selling Chinese merchandise due to a price war across the country, he said.
Kamran with his daughter and two sons said as the month of independence has started, his children have been demanding flags and buntings while his daughter wants to purchase a suit especially designed green and white colour for I-Day.
His daughter Asma said although these dresses are used only once on August 14, but she is worth buying to express her love for Pakistan on I-Day.
Trader Sajjad Khan who was buying different decorative items to sell at a makeshift stall in the nearby town Kot chutta, complained about the increase in prices of various products. He pointed out that shopkeepers and traders were blaming currency depreciation for the hike.