Saidpur Village animal market: A place where some find themselves stuck and others find opportunities

ISLAMABAD:

Saidpur Village gives a unique dining experience for many reasons. The plethora of eating options, the beautiful and relaxing views of restaurants, and the liveliness and history are just some of the attractions it offers.

Beneath the commercial façade lie its residents. The animal market in the village is a source of income for many, dating back generations, and blurs the line between the food business and its supply.

The commercialisation of Saidpur has opened new avenues of upward social mobility for workers. However, at the same time, the age-old occupation of sheep rearing may not be superseded by future generations.

Some can’t wait to get out. Others cling on to the profession of their forefathers, unwilling to abandon it.

Take for instance the example of 50-year-old Gulab Gul, whose family has been working in Saidpur since before the creation of Islamabad. “I’m proud of the profession but I have 10 children. Most of them are in school, I want them to enter a profession that pays more.”

Currently Gul makes Rs6,000 per month. This is after the construction of restaurants and shops have added to his income — Rs2,000 to be exact — in the last eight years.

Gul said he has very strong bonds with everyone in the village, but he feels his children would be better off if they move out.

His employer has a different story to tell. Muhammad Javed, 38, said his income has doubled since the village’s commercialisation. His current income of Rs30,000 has allowed him to move out to a better neighbourhood.

“I’m the first person in my family to own land. I have six children and hope this business will allow them to pursue higher education,” said Javed, who only passed secondary school. Many of them will not continue with the family business.

Not everyone wants to move out though. Yasser Mehmood, 21, who own four stalls, still lives there.

“We feel we are stronger here. I believe we have prospered because of this place so leaving doesn’t make sense,” said Mehmood.

Then there are those who still find the opportunities offered by the market lucrative. There is a considerable influx of young men from other areas.

Eighteen-year-old Ali Raza and Muhammad Nadeem from Sargodha started working in the market as butchers about six months back. “I wanted to shift to the city and work here due to prospects of higher income,” said Raza.

Legality

CDA spokesperson Masoodur Rehman said that the market is allowed to function as the area does not come under Islamabad’s limits.

“Given the history of the village and its traditions, which date back to almost 500 years, people are allowed to continue their practices,” he explained.

He added that a proposal is underway to legalise the markets in the village, but under strict conditions.

“Only the residents will be able to set and keep their businesses and the village’s flora and fauna must be preserved at all costs,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2012.