September 04, 2008

Unlike Lahore and Karachi, Islamabad crawls to a halt as the season for fasting approaches, says Zara Maqbool

Ramazan is the only month throughout the year in which one can notice a change in the way of life all over the country. On the whole, everyone slows down considerably in their daily routine and this is even truer for Islamabad. Already a city with a peaceful, noise-free atmosphere, Ramazan brings a monotonous calm to the capital.

As the saying goes, Islamabad is a city full of ‘the newly weds and the nearly dead’, and never is it as evident as it is in Ramazan as Islooites take it as easy as possible during this month.

During the first half of Ramazan, Islamabad becomes extremely quiet. By late afternoon the traffic slows down noticeably and the streets are mostly empty.

Shopping becomes minimal, restricted to the basic necessities. One hardly sees any crowd in the shopping areas and you usually find shopkeepers snoring away. People hardly go out especially after Iftari and prefer staying at home.

Ahmed Omar, the owner of a ladies boutique, says, “During the first ten days we hardly do any business but, as people gradually adjust to Ramazan, business picks up.” However, things usually heat up after the middle of the month as the Eid fervour catches up.

Eating out is one of the favourite pastimes of Islooites but in Ramazan people generally prefer to eat at home. Faisal, an audit manager, says, “Unlike Karachi and Lahore, the eating out options are quite limited here.”

In comparison to Lahore and Karachi, where the restaurants are jammed packed with patrons checking out Iftari deals, the response to Ramazan deals is lukewarm in the capital. “We are not really that keen on the deals because they are not that tempting,” says Sara, a self-professed food lover. The fast food chains are perhaps the most popular eating spots and you will always find them crowded.

However, as far as the social scene of the city is concerned, people are not generally in the entertaining mood during this month. “Yes, you get a few Iftari invitations from close family and friends but the trend for Iftar parties seems to be on the decline,” says Naima.

Amra, wife of a diplomat gives her insight into the elite social scene and reaffirms the fact that activity level is quite low during this month. “To a certain extent it’s the political situation of the country that has dampened the spirits and partly the load-shedding that discourages any entertaining especially in the evenings,” she says. Women do attend religious gatherings at homes like Dars-e-Quran but it’s all very quiet and low key.

Another observation is that towards the end of Ramazan, the city becomes completely vacant. Islamabad is still a migrant city where people come from all over the country and they go back to their home towns to celebrate Eid. Since this Ramazan is coming in the humid month of September, it will drive more and more Islooites to their homes, turning the capital into a sleepy little town.