Shops in K-P deluged with orders
for preparing items in the shape of
election symbols.
As political parties count potential votes, business owners in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa are counting their profits.
The pre-election season is proving to be a boom time for food and printing businesses in particular as candidates are deluging them with orders to prepare various items in the shape of the election symbols allotted to their parties.
If you want politically branded badges, pens or even potato chips in the shape of kites, shopkeepers in Peepal Mandi, Qissa Khwani, Sabzi Mandi and other bazaars stand ready to fill your orders. For a business community badly hurt by militancy, this was a badly needed boost.
“Though the wave of insecurity has not decreased, the elections are a blessing for many traders and poor people whose businesses have witnessed a good boost,” Awan said.
In his case, being prepared made all the difference. “Initially I, along with my some of my friends, worked out an idea to make these items well before the elections and our planning seems to have worked out since we managed to attract orders from political parties,” Awan explained.
Another shopkeeper, Adnan Khan at Chowk Yadgar said that sometimes all you have to do is change the name of an existing product. He explained that a simple packet of chips would previously not appeal to anyone, but names like ‘Babar Sher Chips’ and ‘Kite Ice Cream’ were hot-selling items.
Jamaat Ali Shah, who runs a printing business, is raking it in by making ‘political’ badges, caps, glasses and mugs. “The supporters and workers mostly purchase them and distribute them among the voters in their respective constituencies,” he added.
Similarly, the owner of Jalindhar Bakers at Fowara Chowk, Qalandar Khan Lodhi said his sweets business also experienced a hike due to the elections. “Earlier we enjoyed brisk business in Ramadan, Eidul Fitr and Eidul Azha, but our work has doubled in the last one month.”
Farhad Ali, who is the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s candidate for PK-5 said his campaign had prepared and distributed ballpoints inscribed with the party’s name, colour (green) and election symbol among the people.
“Our symbols show that our party will work for the promotion of education and build an educated society if voted to power,” he claimed.
Jamaat-e-Islami secretary of information Israrullah Advocate said the party had given orders for making badges which would be distributed during the election drive. Awami National Party’s Arbab Ghulam Mustafa said they would also follow suit.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2013.
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