PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI: The famous Narankari Bazaar in Rawalpindi is an old commercial centre, but of late it has become supply hub of counterfeit products.
Most of the traders operating in the bazaar are involved in selling items in fake packing, a survey conducted by Daily Express revealed.
The market is flooded with fake medicines, foodstuff, soft drinks, cigarettes, electrical appliances, , perfumes, tea ,washing powder and cosmetics.
Third-grade products are packed in copied packaging of top brands. The fake packing is so similar to real one that simple people think they are buying the actual product though it is a third rate copy.
Unscrupulous traders make the products appear so genuine by using all types of ingredients and even placing better-looking holograms that it is hard for the consumer to distinguish between the real and fake.
The spurious soaps and cosmetics do not undergo safety tests and some ingredients used in them can serious harm to the human skin.
Further, it was known that he stock is usually hidden in go-downs which are located at distance from the shops.
The packing material is usually printed and supplied from Faisalabad to warehouses in Narankari Bazaar where packing takes place. These warehouses hold huge stocks of substandard materials where final packaging is carried out.
Household customers rarely come here. Most of the buyers are retailers, small shopkeepers and suppliers to small towns and far flung areas where authorities rarely go for checking.
These fake items are not only sold wholesale in Narankari Bazaar but also supplied to different markets in districts Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal as well as in northern areas.
The same is the case with make-up kits and cosmetic items as locally made products are deceivingly sold in packaging of international and local brands.
The police and related authorities seem to turn a blind eye of the activity while the activity is harming the consumers, producers and the economy.
Historical value
The historical Narankari Bazaar which came into the limelight at the dawn of 19th century, needs special attention from the city government for its preservation and the provision of basic facilities.
Located in the middle of city, the bazaar is said to be one of the oldest in Rawalpindi and the larger region of Potohar. Today, however, due to the negligence of city managers, very few of the city developers know its history and its contribution in making Rawalpindi the centre of commercial activities.
Popular folklore has it that the Sikh leader Bahi Vasakha Singh, who was the revenue officer of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, first came in this area somewhere between 1770 and 1780. Later, his son Baba Dyal Singh started a religious practice in this area. Iqbal Qaisar, historian and author of the book ‘Historical Sikh Shrines in Pakistan’ stated that the bazaar was named after Dhan Nirankar.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2019.
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