PESHAWAR: Hundreds of customers have thronged to Namak Mandi, the famous Salt Market in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, in search of a particular piece of footwear to wear on Eid Al-Fitr: leather sandals emblazoned with the number 804.

The Qaidi, or Prisoner, No. 804 Chappal, as the sandal has come to be widely known as, is named after the prisoner identification number assigned to former Prime Minister Imran Khan when he was first jailed in August last year in a graft case. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has since popularized the term “Qaidi No. 804,” with PTI supporters and members regularly calling the jailed former premier by that name and many merchants rushing to cash in on its popularity. 

These include Chacha Noor-ud-Din, the owner of Peshawar’s Kaptaan Chappal Shop, a longtime shoemaker who rose to national and international fame in 2014 when he first made traditional Peshawari chappals for Khan and named them Kaptaan, or Captain, sandals after the former Pakistani cricket team captain who became PM in 2018.

This Eid, owing to the popularity of the phrase ‘Qaidi No. 804,’ Noor-ud-Din decided it might be a good idea to craft sandals around that theme and indeed they have been a hit, especially in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a longtime PTI stronghold and where the party has been in government since 2013.

“I made and named this sandal ‘Qaidi 804’ this year and its demand went up abruptly,” Noor-ud-Din told Arab News at his shop last week as he glued leather cutouts of the numbers 8, 0, and 4 onto a pair of blue and white sandals.

“People have been asking for it, leading to its current shortage,” the shoemaker said, saying he might not be able to fulfill all his orders before the first day of Eid. 

Peshawari chappals feature a wide and rounded toe along with an open back and are usually crafted from soft leather, which makes the footware both durable and comfortable. Men in Pakistan usually pair them with shalwar kameez or other traditional dresses, while younger people also wear them with jeans or casual trousers.

“When I made the [Peshawari] chappal for Imran Khan for the first time [in 2014], I named it Special Peshawari Chappal,” Noor-ud-Din said. “When I made the chappal for his marriage [with now ex-wife Reham Khan in 2015] I renamed it Kaptaan Chappal.”

The fame from the sandals has opened many doors for the artisan, and he can now count among his clients a number of high-profile sports personalities, politicians, diplomats and government and military officials.

“I have made these chappals for [West Indian cricketer] Darren Sammy, the [former] captain of Peshawar Zalmi,” the shoemaker said. “I give them [the Zalmi management] 40 to 45 pairs of shoes when they have [Pakistan Super League] matches.”

Noor-ud-Din said his work had also received recognition in other countries and he has made footwear for diplomats and royals, including the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki.

The seasoned artisan, who has been making Peshawari footwear since 1976, also received a presidential award on Pakistan Day this year for services to his craft.

“WE LOVE KHAN”

Khan, who was PM from 2018-2022, remains jailed in multiple cases, including a 14-year jail sentence for him and his wife Bushra Khan for the illegal sale of state gifts. 

Khan was handed a three-year prison sentence in August 2023 by the Election Commission for not declaring assets earned from selling gifts worth more than 140 million rupees ($501,000) in state possession and received during his premiership. In January, following an investigation by the country’s top anti-graft body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), into the same charges, Khan and his wife were handed 14-year jail terms. 

An anti-graft court in Islamabad handed Khan a 10-year jail term in January for revealing state secrets, a week before national elections on Feb. 8.

In February, Khan and Bushra were separately sentenced to seven years in prison and fined by a court that ruled their 2018 marriage went against Islamic law. 

Khan has also been indicted under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law in connection with violence against the military that erupted following his brief arrest related to the Al-Qadir case on May 9. A section of Pakistan’s 1997 anti-terrorism act prescribes the death penalty as maximum punishment. Khan has denied the charges under the anti-terrorism law, saying he was in detention when the violence took place.

Khan’s convictions mean he is banned from holding public office and ruled the 71-year-old out of the Feb 8 general elections.

And yet, despite being in prison, his popularity has grown, as evidenced by the long line of outside Noor-ud-Din’s shop, asking to buy the Qaidi sandals. Orders also also come from abroad, said the shop owner, given Khan’s significant following among overseas Pakistanis. 

“[We got a lot of orders] from America, London and other foreign countries,” the shoemaker said.

“[Imran] Khan has a huge fan following in foreign countries and the overseas Pakistanis support Imran Khan. I came to know of this popularity since I have been making these shoes named after Imran Khan [on foreigners’ orders].” 

Local customers are also plenty.

Speaking to Arab News, a 19-year-old customer at the shop said he really wanted to own a pair of chappals with the number 804.

“I have come to give an order for this chappal,” Muhammad Hussain from Peshawar’s Wazir Bagh neighborhood said a few days before Eid. “I have come [to buy this] because of Imran Khan.”

Hussain said he hoped his order would be delivered before Eid since he wanted to wear the shoes during the religious holiday.

“The price is Rs 10,000 [$36),” the young man said. “I have paid an advance of Rs3,000, and Rs7,000 remain to be paid.”