Money talks: Vendors see business opportunity at PTI rally

People have come from as far as Hyderabad to sell flags, badges at the ‘revolution’

ISLAMABAD: As supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gather for today’s rally, some have come to the capital to simply earn a living.

Among them is Amir Shaukat, who has travelled all the way from Hyderabad, Sindh, to earn money from setting up a face painting stall at the PTI gathering.

“On TV, I have been watching vendors who came from other cities and were doing good business at the sit-in since August 14. I decided to try my luck at face painting as well,” he told The Express Tribune at the venue of the rally on Saturday.



Shaukat is a father of three kids and works in the marketing department of a private company in Hyderabad. “I will try to paint as many faces as I can and hope to earn Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 on Sunday,” he said.

He has made stamps with pictures of Imran Khan and printed slogans like “Go Nawaz Go”, “Tabdeli agae hai”, and “Jiyay Khan”.

‘I’m not a supporter’

Laluddin, a young boy, has come from Rawalpindi to sell skull caps bearing the party insignia and Imran Khan’s pictures. He said he had ordered caps from Peshawar and stitched party flags himself.



“I am hoping to earn Rs2,500-3,000 tomorrow at the rally by selling flags, caps and badges,” said the youngster, who is a tailor and has been stitching PTI flags for the party’s rallies in the past.

“I am not a PTI supporter. I just come here to earn money as these rallies are rare opportunities where we earn in a day what we earn in weeks,” he said. He said he was the sole bread earner of a family of 12 who had shifted to Rawalpindi from Mohmand Agency a few years ago.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2014.