Daily Times

The electronic and digital cards have almost replaced the centuries old traditional eid cards business in KP due to mashroom of growth in IT sector by Pakistan. In Peshawar, most of outlets selling traditional eid cards on joys occasion of Eidul Fitr were converted into books, computers, garments and edible products shops after shifting of people towards E cards.

Eid card sellers in the past had arranged many stalls at different areas of Peshawar including Hastnagri, Karimpura, Goara Bazar, Liaquat Bazaar and Qissa Khawani Bazaar by making roaring business ahead of Eid days. However, in recent past, the electronic and digital (E) cards has outshined the traditional cards business in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due mashroom growth of Information technology in Pakistan.

The shops of traditional Eid cards have also cut down at Liaquat and Qisakhwani bazaars for which it was once famous for. Majority of shopkeepers associated with decades old Eid cards business have said good bye to it.

On eve of Eid, the people exchanges E cards with heartfelt messages among relatives, friends and loved ones through social media services such as Facebook and WhatsApp to express their love and warmth.

These days, people prefer shortcut method of sending wishes and greetings through E-cards, SMS, Facebook and Whatsapp messages instead of sending traditional Eid cards through post offices and courier services as they consider it expensive and time consuming exercise.

Engr Khushal Khan, a resident of Dir district told APP on Wednesday that most of people lacked time to go to shop and buy old fashioned eid cards and then send it to friends and relatives through courier services in these hot weather conditions.

He said social media tools were effective way to send nice E cards to all friends and relatives in a single click to congratulate them on joys occasion of Eid. Engr Khushal said prayers for someone was most important than sending Eid cards, adding money spend on traditional Eid cards can be donated to poor people and labourers for purchasing new shoes and garments for their children.

Ahmed Khan, a traditional cards seller at Qissa Khwani bazaar told APP that E cards has replaced traditional cards business in Peshawar due to lack of patronage by the Government.

He said the trend of buying traditional eid cards had significantly declined due to boom in IT sector, SMS, 3 and 4 G, WhatsApp and Facebook services in Pakistan. He said coronavirus have adversally affected printing industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and urged the PTI Government in KP to announce special incentives package for them.

However, he said some book sellers and gift owners at Qissa Khwani and Liauqat Bazaar have hired computers experts to design E cards for their clients and firms. Bilal Khan, a resident of Peshawar said he has designed E cards that would be delivered through Facebook messengers and WhatsApp to all my friends, well wishers and relatives on Chand Raat.

He said social media was a cost-efficient and a fast way of communication to convey Eid greetings to all the loved ones. “Electronic cards give us an option to edit text and modify background besides an addition of animation of choice as such cards are liked especially by youngsters and youth who are quick to adopt new technologies,” he explained. He said people do not have enough time to buy a card and go to a post office or courier service to post it in prevailing hot weather that griped Peshawar Valley in last couple of days.

He said charges of postal and courier services also increased, which was behind purchasing power of poor people and white collars. They urged KP Government to announce a comprehensive financial package for revival of printing press and traditional cards business in the province besides providing assistance to printers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.