PESHAWAR: Ahmad Shehzad, a seventh-grade student who manages his father’s street business after finishing the school day, was handpicked by Peshawar Zalmi as brand ambassador following his viral TikTok clip last month in which he can be seen offering potato chips to an unknown man carrying the camera.
Shehzad has eight siblings and works as a street vendor in the city’s historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar, or Storytellers’ Market, where he mostly sells traditionally used oral hygiene products, kohl and other merchandize to people.
The video that made him popular on social media was recorded about three weeks ago while he was waiting for customers.
“I was setting here when a person named Mehmood came over and captured the video,” he told Arab News while pointing toward a place near his cart. “I offered him my chips and he shared the video on social media which got a lot of attention.”
As the video went viral, Javed Afridi, who owns the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise representing Peshawar, shared Shehzad’s picture on Twitter and described him as the “real ambassador” of Zalmi.
“People from Peshawar Zalmi came over, took me to the stadium, gave me [their team’s cricket] kit, and handed me over Rs10,000,” said the young boy.
Ahmad Shehzad poses for a picture with his cart in Peshawar's Qissa Khwani Bazar, Pakistan, on 7 March 2023. (AN Photo)
He informed he only went to watch one match of the eighth PSL edition in the ground, adding his ticket and transport were arranged by Zalmi.
“I went to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium where Peshawar Zalmi won the match,” he added. “I felt very happy.”
However, he said he was not taken to more PSL matches by the franchise despite being declared its brand ambassador.
“People surround me all the time now and don’t let me do my work easily,” he continued. “When someone shoots a video with me, it makes me happy.”
Onlookers gather around Ahmad Shehzad's cart in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 9, 2023. (AN Photo)
Shehzad’s father, Khan Bahadur, told Arab News he came to Peshawar to earn a decent income for his family.
“If someone supports me, I will try to provide better education to Shehzad which is a big dream,” he said.
“The news [about Shehzad becoming Zalmi’s brand ambassador] has spread so much that people don’t let us do our business here,” he added. “Some people come and request to make a video with him, others say they want to take photographs.”
Bahadur thanked Afridi for choosing his son as Zalmi’s brand ambassador.
“So much respect has come into our lives [since then],” he said. “Shehzad has been respected and in return people also respect me.”
