Punjab launches ‘Sahulat on the Go’ mobile bazaars

Punjab has rolled out a new initiative aimed at curbing rising costs of essential goods and creating opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs, with authorities describing it as a “game changer” for urban markets.

The Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority (PSBA) has launched Sahulat on the Go, a Rs. 630.5 million project that will deploy 14 mobile bazaars across Lahore in the first phase. Each unit will feature about 60 stalls in densely populated neighbourhoods and high-traffic corridors.

The pilot will operate in areas including Multan Road, Manga Mandi, Raiwind, G1 Market, Mustafa Town, Faisal Town, Moon Market, Bedian Road, Gulshan Ravi, Shahdara and Shadman. Officials say the project will be expanded across the province after completion within three to four months.

Unlike ad hoc street markets, the mobile bazaars will be planned and regulated, with stalls offered at affordable rents. The PSBA estimates the scheme will generate Rs. 93.6 million annually, making it financially self-sustaining without recurring subsidies.

“For consumers, the benefit is straightforward: reliable access to essential commodities at prices 10–30% lower than open market rates,” the authority said. Vendors, it added, will gain from transparent allocation processes and steady footfall, lowering entry barriers for youth and women.

The initiative was conceptualised and presented under the leadership of Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad, Director General of the PSBA. A foreign-qualified chartered accountant, Ahmad has overseen Punjab’s market regulation reforms since 2016, including the transition of the Punjab Model Bazaars Management Company into a statutory authority.

Under his watch, PSBA now runs 36 permanent bazaars in 25 districts, serving nearly 50 million customers annually. These markets have been credited with providing essential goods at below-market rates in structured environments.

Naveed said the new mobile bazaars extend that model further. “Effective leadership in the public sector is about more than administration — it is about vision, execution and impact,” he said.

He defended the project’s feasibility before securing the chief minister’s backing. “Only a leader with his blend of financial expertise, reformist vision and credibility could move such a project from idea to implementation with this speed and scale,” the authority said in a statement.