by Raheela Nazir
ISLAMABAD, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Salma Mushtaq was beaming with joy as she welcomed guests at home on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr being celebrated on Saturday across Pakistan amid great enthusiasm and excitement.
Donning a colorful glittery gown with matching shoes and jewelry, Mushtaq told Xinhua that celebrating the festival with loved ones is a great source of happiness and contentment to her.
"It is an occasion of peace, joy and blessings ... It is incomplete without family and friends meeting each other and indulging in delicious festive meals," she said.
Mushtaq, 38, said she has prepared a variety of traditional delicacies including barbecued meat, rich aromatic chicken rice, beef Kabab and sweets for the guests to cheer the jubilant occasion.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. It is a three-day festival celebrated by Muslims all over the world including in Pakistan. To make the occasion ecstatic for people, the Pakistani government has announced five-day Eid holidays.
As a large number of people are traveling to their hometowns during the festival, the Pakistan Railways has arranged special trains to accomodate passengers. Similarly, additional passenger coaches and vans are also being run between cities to take people to their native towns.
To ensure security on the occasion, special arrangements have been made by law enforcement agencies to avoid any untoward incident. Hundreds of police teams have been deployed to ensure security of markets, parks and other public places across the South Asian country.
Describing the festival as the most joyous time of the year, Rubina Sarwar said that it is a day full of laughter and happy moments for everyone, especially for children who get to spend their time the way they want.
"I spent days shopping for my three children before Eid, buying them new clothes and shoes. The excitement and radiance on their faces is priceless ... We are planning to take them to recreational places on the second and third day of the festival as this is one of their favorite things to do during Eid holidays," Sarwar told Xinhua.
Other than enjoying the occasion with family reunions and grand feasts, many effluent individuals and charity organizations in the country are busy with helping the underprivileged people, keeping up the real spirit of Eid by showing love, kindness and sharing of blessings.
Talking to Xinhua, Muhammad Furqan, a philanthropist who runs a charity organization in the country's eastern Rawalpindi district, said that happy occasions like Eid should be spent with self-reflection, spirituality and charity.
"There are many families who cannot afford to buy new clothes and food to cheer the happy occasion, and it is our social responsibility to help those in need," he said, adding that his organization is delivering special Eid packages to poor families.
"We started distributing special packages containing essential food items and cash a few days before Eid to ensure that needy persons can also celebrate the most important Muslim festival with the same zeal and fervor as others ... Such occasions teach us compassion, empathy and generosity," Furqan said.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the blessed occasion of Eid has brought immense happiness and joy in the life of every Muslim while advising people to take care of the needy and destitute around them during the festival.
"Amid economic challenges, the sacrifice and love of the well-to-do and rich are needed more than in ordinary circumstances ... Those who are facing difficulties due to adverse circumstances should be made part of the celebrations of Eid," the prime minister said in his Eid message. ■