Islamabad’s biggest shopping Mall Centaurus in a bizarre decision decided to impose an entry fee of Rupees 100. The entry fee doesn’t make much sense as a shopping mall is supposed to attract people rather than trying to discourage them. However there is a bigger and much serious problem with regards to the step by the Mall management. In the public notice published in newspaper the Mall management conveniently exempts an exhaustive list of people from paying the entry fee. The haphazardly made list is the real cause of concern and has angered people who have labeled the list discriminatory and gross and messed up elitism.
The mall excused 23 types of people from the entry fee requirement, which includes all women, senior citizens and children under 12, lawmakers, executives, diplomats, foreigners, lawyers and members of country clubs. According to the Mall management the fee is imposed to keep out guys who aimlessly loiter in the Mall. The question that arises here is that is the 23 types of people who are exempted from the fee not capable of loitering? Also, can someone who wants to loiter not pay Rupees 100? The entry coupon and the exemption list clearly points to the fact that the less affluent are not welcome to the Mall because they just don’t fit in with the rich and affluent of the Capital and are a cause of annoyance. The discriminatory attitude of the mall management is despicable to say the least, on one hand youngsters are declared the root cause of the problem as they loiter in the mall on the other hand so many ‘youngsters’ who fall in the 23 different categories have been declared fit to loiter. The Mall should either have the entry fee for every customer or nobody at all.
The Mall should either have the entry fee for every customer or nobody at all.