ISLAMABAD: Tahira Habib, the eldest daughter of famous revolutionary poet Habib Jalib, has said that authorities in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore removed her food stall a day after it was set up in the city’s Karim Block market, with local administration saying no concession is being given to anyone on encroachments.
The government in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, has initiated a campaign to remove illegal structures in several cities, including the provincial capital of Lahore. People, who had set up food carts or makeshift cafes, have complained of losing their jobs in the wake of the anti-encroachment drive.
“I am struggling to earn a living myself instead of asking anyone for help. First I worked on a PCO (public call office) to support my sisters and children, then I took a car on installments and drove it on Careem and Uber. But now due to the continuous increase in the price of petrol, I am not able to earn a living,” Habib told Independent Urdu in an exclusive interview.
“Last Thursday, we cooked food from home and sold it in one day, earning Rs2,800 ($10),” she said. “But the administration officials stopped us from setting up a dhaba there.”
Habib said she had requested the deputy commissioner in June to provide her a cart in the Chief Minister Model Cart Bazaar but nobody heeded her request.
“I got fed up and took the courage to do it myself, but the administration did not allow me to do this job. All the [food cart] equipment is now lying at home, which was bought on credit,” she said.
“My father has taught us a lesson of self-reliance, so we are not asking anyone for help. But as citizens of this country, our right to work is also being taken away. Due to this action, we are sitting at home without anything to spend.”
The development follows the establishment of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) force to take action against encroachments. There have been reports of trader protests against PERA force actions across the province.
“The Chief Minister of Punjab claims that ‘women are my red line,’ so why am I being prevented from working as a woman,” Habib questioned, while speaking to Independent Urdu.
Reached for a comment, Haris Ali, a spokesperson for Lahore deputy commissioner, said they have zero tolerance for encroachments and no one can be allowed to encroach upon public space.
“We are considering Tahira Jalib’s application regarding a model cart. She will be given permission to set up a dhaba (makeshift cafe) by providing a model cart at a special place legally reserved for model carts,” he said.
“Because setting up a dhaba or cart is not allowed everywhere, a place has been reserved for it in every commercial area [in the city].”
