Worried Rawalpindi vendors

Rawalpindi streets are filled with artistic voices from vendors yelling at the top of their lungs selling different types of items to passers-by. These men sell everything from ice cream, different kinds of corn cooked in ashes, in the sand and on coal, vegetables, fruits, clothes, cutlery, watches, wall clocks, tiny carpets, mats, etc. pushing their handcarts down every lane.

“Vendors have been trading in the manner they have for years without causing any harm to the environment or the community, but they are seen as a nuisance. Unrealistic licensing obligations make vendors illegal by default, exposing them to bribery and extortion,” says Safeer Hussain.

For most street vendors, trading is full of uncertainties. The local bodies conduct eviction drives to clear the pavements of these encroachers and in most cases confiscate their goods. “I have seen the cops harassing these vendors many times at Liaquat Road, Raja Bazaar near Fawara Chowk. They have never had a smooth business daily without being tense,” says Muzaffar Ali.

“My workplace is preferably a highly trafficked area located in an area with plenty of businesses and people. The weather is an element that I have to deal with. Days with perfect weather yield higher profits, but in days of pouring rain, high winds, and biting cold I will be lucky to earn even for the day,” says Amjad Zaidi.

“We are at the mercy of civic body officials and local police. My trade is insecure as I am routinely harassed to bribe city authorities called ‘bhatta’ in local parlance. It’s always painful to pay bribe out of my hard-earned money. I have to grease their palm to seek protection and carry on trade without harassment,” says Ali Zaafran, selling mobile phone accessories.

“Rawalpindi without its street vendors is not conceivable. Their goods give food to the city residents in the street alleys. Despite providing goods and services and contributing significantly to the urban economy, they remain invisible and are not counted in official statistics nor are they taken into account by urban planners or municipal administrators. There is no legislation yet to provide immunity to us,” says Zaheer Abbas.

“Of late, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of street vendors. Many unemployed persons, including educated youth, and those thrown out of jobs like me, have now taken to retailing by setting up tiny retail shops, with very meager investment, or end up as street vendors,” says Shafi Haider.

Nazar Ali says: “The COVID-19 delivered a deadly punch to our sector. But the government policies of soft lockdown and compliance with norms for social distancing required as a minimum for people to stay safe outside their homes, in markets, in offices, as commuters have now altered the business landscape.”