PESHAWAR: Nangyal Shafi, a 37-year-old Afghan refugee living in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, was selling vegetables on his pushcart in the Board Bazaar market when the police arrived last week and threw his cart into a nearby canal. Shafi was among hundreds of other vendors and shopkeepers, mainly Afghans, who lost their livelihoods as a result of an anti-encroachment drive at the market, called ‘mini Kabul.’
The bazaar, which was established in the 1980s after the arrival of Afghan refugees due to the Soviet-Afghan war, wore a deserted look on Monday, with the smell of Afghan jalebi (funnel cake) and mantu (dumplings) gone after the authorities removed hundreds of vendors along with their pushcarts and kiosks.
Saturday’s anti-encroachment operation came as the latest blow to Afghans living in Pakistan ahead of a November 1 deadline announced by Islamabad for all illegal immigrants to leave the country, following deadly attacks in the Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern regions that border Afghanistan.
The Pakistani government has also tightened its travel policy, which requires Afghan nationals to carry a valid passport and visa to cross the border into Pakistan. Previously, Islamabad had been practicing a relaxed travel policy at some of the crossings for residents living in border towns on either side.
“My support system has been thrown here, I am the main earning hand of my family and have no alternative,” Shafi said on Monday, pointing to the place where his cart had been dumped by local officials.
“I fear that if I bring another cart and start working, the same would happen and I would go into debt.”
The picture taken on October 23, 2023, shows shops destroyed by police in an anti-encroachment drive in Board Bazaar Market in Peshawar, Pakistan. (AN photo)
The 37-year-old said he had lost Rs50,000 ($180) worth of goods in the authorities’ action and was worried how he would feed his family.
The Board Bazaar is home to around 6,000 shops, where around 700 vendors sold fruit, vegetables and other goods on pushcarts until last Saturday, according to Naqib Badshah, president of the local market association.
Most of the shopkeepers and vendors in the market are Afghan refugees, because of which it is also known as ‘Mini Kabul.’
Badshah said they were not served any notice prior to the anti-encroachment operation.
“They were not informed before the anti-encroachment operation was launched which has cost a heavy loss to the Afghans working in Board Bazaar,” he told Arab News.
“The police keep visiting the bazaar from time to time after Saturday’s operation and arrest those who try to set up their businesses on carts.”
The picture taken on October 23, 2023 shows shops destroyed by police in an anti-encroachment drive in Board Bazaar Market in Peshawar, Pakistan. (AN photo)
Badshah requested the district administration to provide an alternate place to the Afghan refugees who had lost their livelihoods in the drive.
Authorities in Peshawar say some of the vendors had occupied empty lots and railway land around the Board Bazaar area, which caused inconvenience to the public and prompted action.
“We were receiving several complaints regarding permanent and temporary structures installed in Board Bazar,” Assistant Commissioner Rao Muhammad Hashim said. “There was inconvenience for the public in crossing the Board Bazaar.”
He said the local administration together with other civic bodies dismantled and demolished up to 400 illegal structures, some of which were permanently built while others were temporary.
Asked if the anti-encroachment drive was linked with the recent actions against illegal Afghan immigrants, the assistant commissioner said it had no connection with the repatriation of Afghan refugees.
“This plan is to rid the city of all kinds of encroachments,” he added.
