Karachi, Aug 13

Sales of IndepenÂdence Day related items have doubled in Karachi, with Pakistanis more keen to celebrate on August 14 compared to earlier years, a daily reported on Saturday.

Sales of flags, buntings, badges and other items began in mid July, almost two weeks earlier as compared to last year, the Dawn reported on Saturday.

The number of roadside stalls has increased by more than 50 per cent due to improving law and order situation in Karachi, it said.

â€œOur sales have gone up by over 100 per cent this year and well surpassed our targets,â€ said Sheikh Nisar Ahmad Parchamwala, owner of VIP Flags.

â€œIt seems people of Karachi are being extra zealous than people from other parts of the country,â€ he said.

Stalls are loaded with flags, T-shirts with trousers, bangles, badges, wrist bands, caps, face masks, glasses, balloons, glasses and CDs of national songs, the Dawn said.

A sizable quantity of festive items including Pakistani flags, badges and T-shirts have come from China.

A prominent trader, Atiq Mir, estimated the total sales at Rs 10 billion in Karachi this year, up from Rs 5 billion in 2015.

Sales in Lahore are estimated at Rs 5 billion, compared to Rs 2.5-3 billion last year. He said the nationwide sales may touch Rs 40-50 billion as compared to Rs 20-25 billion last year.

Sales of Independence Day items soar in Pakistan