In the artery outside the high court, everyone marches to this woman’s beat

Shakila Bibi has been directing traffic outside the SHC building for five years.

KARACHI: She stands resolutely at the intersection right in front of the Sindh High Court, surveying all that bends to her will. When she raises her hand, cars - in which powerful men sit - come to halt right away. When she casually waves it, the wheels slowly start spinning again.  

Meet 40-year-old Shakila Bibi, aka Shabbo, who has been voluntarily directing traffic for the last five years outside the high court building. This is a powerful corridor - not only do judges pass through but officials who work at the passport and FIA offices located near the intersection. She’s very well-known here.

“Everyone respects me and follows my instructions. When I say stop, everyone stops. When I say go, everyone moves,” says Shabbo as she uses her whistle to stop a car rolling out of the high court premises. As another car whizzes by, ignoring her instructions, she suddenly starts cussing.

While talking to The Express Tribune, she said, “I have been regulating traffic without any support,” she said. “But sometimes a police constable is deployed here to assist me when there’s quite a lot of traffic chaos.” She said everyone in the area knows her, including the judges and lawyers. “They follow my directions as they are driving out from the building.” In return for her duties, the lawyers and judges help her out with her expenses.



Belonging to the Kutchi Memon community, Shabbo resides in a rented home in Meera Naka, Lyari. She pays Rs3,500 as rent and is very concerned about the future of her children - she fears they might mix with the “wrong crowd” and end up in a gang.

She added that her husband is sick and her two sons are still hunting for jobs. “God bless the lawyers of the high court. They help me out to support my family,” said Shabbo. “I’ve requested some lawyers and judges to help me buy a home. In Ramadan, I’ll also head to the dargah to pray for a better future for my children.”

During her duty, Shabbo also keeps an eye out for suspicious characters who loiter outside the court’s premises. Whenever she senses something is off, she immediately alerts the law enforcers who then investigate the matter.

Shabbo admits that she has made friends in high places. “Once, an SHO started bothering me. I just rang up a senior lawyer and the officer was transferred the very next day,” she said proudly. “Yeah, it was a big achievement for me,” she added, smiling. “All the judges and lawyers who pass through here always respect me as I don’t take an off from this voluntary duty. They always help me support my family. God bless them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2013.