RAWALPINDI:Thousands of fun-seekers including women and children thronged parks of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad during holidays to celebrate the Eid festival.
This year, five Eid holidays (April 21 to 25) were announced by the government on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr which provided a great recreational opportunity for the citizens.
On the first day of Eid, people remained busy in greeting relatives, friends and near and dear ones, and rushed to different parks on the second and third day of Eid to enjoy the Eid festivity.
The citizens were seen flocking parks like Nawaz Sharif Park, Ayub National Park, Family Park Commercial Markets Satellite Town Rawalpindi, Jinnah Park and other parks on the second and third days of Eid. However, the people were complaining about lack of facilities at the parks and high rates of edibles at canteens and cafeterias as well. They were also irritated while paying extra money for parking facilities at certain parks.
All amusement parks were open from 8 am to 1.30 am on the three-day Eid holidays as children enjoyed rides, swings, moto boating and riding, dodging cars and horses and camel rides.
Families and children also enjoyed mini-train rides while children enjoyed themselves by taking pictures with wild and caged animals in zoos and parks.
At Ayub National Park, the families indulged in boating in droves and riding motor boats while children enjoyed the waterfall in ‘Joy land’. Little kids and girls played on electronic swings.
Ayub Park saw families in droves as the newly built amusement park teeming with all kinds of flowers remained the main attraction. Children and families also enjoyed wild animals, birds and pets in some parks and zoos.
Murree Road on Sunday and Monday remained jam-packed with a stream of vehicles after tourists particularly from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and other adjoining areas thronged the Murree hill station to enjoy beautiful weather.
From Rawalpindi to Dhokri chowk and then to Chatter Park, the road was jam-packed with vehicles moving at snails pace.
The parks in Rawalpindi were specially decorated to make them attractive for visitors. The families visiting the parks of the city complained that overcharging, the sale of substandard food items and non-availability of quality products are the main cause of concern.
“The food items being offered at the canteen were really tantamount to fleecing and the children were being robbed off their Eidis in the parks,” said Altaf, a 12-year-old boy.
The public transporters including taxi drivers charged higer fares. The rates of chips, biscuits, burgers, soft drinks, mineral water and other items were almost double in the parks of twin cities as compared to open markets.
Special security arrangements were also seen outside the parks for the protection of the visitors.