By Minahil Makhdoom
ISLAMABAD: Since opening of the markets after ease in the lockdown, majority of the customers are thronging the garments shops to buy ready to wear clothes after refusal of tailors to stitch clothes owing to the heavy workload.
A number of customers visited the tailors in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad soon after opening of their shops to get their clothes stitched before Eid-ul-Fitr.
However, they faced refusal from the already over-burdened tailors who have stopped taking more orders due to the limited time before Eid and short working hours.
“I am the regular customer of a Rawalpindi based tailor who refused to take my clothes saying that he would might not able to complete more orders†, Shaista Naz, a working woman said.
She said, “Now I have to purchase ready to wear clothes for me and my family but it seems difficult and risky to shop in the overcrowded markets where visitors are violating the social distancing precaution†.
Shagufta Amin, a mother of three children, living in G-8 sector, said she has completed shopping for her children soon after the shops opened as they were demanding new clothes and shoes for Eid.
“Although it is difficult to afford ready-made clothes due to high prices but there was no choice left for us except buying these due to non-availability of the tailors at the last moments before Eid†, she said while talking to APP.
The time limitation for opening of the shops has further over crowded the markets where visitors are not following any safety measures especially social distancing which is indispensable to stay safe from the COVID-19, she observed.
Jahanzeb Khan, serving as government employee in capital, “I myself purchased all the stuff including ready made garments and shoes according to my resources for my family living in Sargodha and will leave for my native town on Friday†.
“It was difficult for my wife to visit markets along with children due to the prevailing health crisis†, he said.
Ashfaq Ali, a tailor said , “I have received a large number of orders in a single day after getting permission to open the shop till evening. It is difficult to wind up our work till evening every day contrary to the earlier practice when we used to work for late night hours to complete orders†.
“I refused taking orders from majority of my old customers as I have to rush for Multan to celebrate the upcoming festival with my family despite the fact that I have not earned much on this Eid which was the most profit earning occasion for me†, he said.
