On the sidelines: Entrepreneurial protesters bring smiles to rallies

Supporters-turned-vendors sell different items to add life to monotonous routine


Photo: Huma Choudhary August 29, 2014

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-ins completed their first fortnight, the bright shades of clothes worn by many women at the protests seemed to be fading. Empowering dull hues were clashing with neon-tinted toys held in the hands of children brought along by their mothers.

Several supporters-turned-vendors are also selling a wide range of items to add life to break the monotonous routine.

The person who brought smiles to the children’s faces after days was quietly sitting on a chair in one corner. With his numb eyes affixed, 60-year-old Mehmood Aslam, a PAT supporter and occasional children’s toys salesman from Rawalpindi listened to Dr Tahirul Qadri deliver a spirited speech.

Due to container blockages, buses have been taking longer routes and have been charging more than usual.  Aslam has been a regular at the sit-ins and is currently unemployed. Noticing the number of children at the sit-in, he started selling toys here to cover his travel expenses and make a few extra rupees on the side.



Shah Riaz can barely keep up with the customer load (left); while PTI supporter and knickknack vendor MalikAmaan took advantage of a slow moment to rearrange his wares (right). PHOTOS: HUMA CHOUDHARY/ EXPRESS



“I don’t own a toy shop, nor had I ever sold them before,” he said.

But for the past five days, that has been all he does, stopping only when Qadri takes the stage. Along the way, he has been helping put smiles on children’s faces, which he says, are enough reward to make the entire experience worthwhile.

“While I am brought to tears by the direction our country is moving in, I find it extremely pleasing to make children smile because of something I do,” he said, adding, “I am not making big profits, just enough to cover costs and my travel expenses.”

At a short distance, Shah Riaz pours tea into disposable glasses. Unlike Aslam, he has been doing this for years. The tea vendor from Faisalabad said he shut his tea shop in Faisalabad and joined the PAT march on the very first day. He even made a pre-march trip to plan how and where to operate his roadside stall.

Selling a cup for tea for Rs.20 He makes 1,500 to 2,500 per day. Riaz said that while his business back home was running a loss, “hearing Dr Qadri live has been my biggest reward. cups of tea refresh people here, but what refreshes me is when I hear live speeches. I was smart enough to establish my corner here where I can see him,” he said with a smile.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

GS@Y | 9 years ago | Reply

A cup of tea for Rs. 20? Isn't that quite excessive?

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