Staff Reporter
Karachi
Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani has said that he believes that street vendors are not encroachment and it is a legal business and law permits to do that business with formal permission. He was speaking as a chief guest at a seminar “Street Vendor Project”. organized by Islamabad based research institute PRIME Institute, in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation, National Youth Assembly and lawyer Ahmed Bashir at a local hotel in Karachi. The seminar was attended among others by the economists from different universities based in Karachi, scholars, representatives of NGOs, and members of working group formed by the PRIME to get feedback from multiple stakeholders on preparing a draft Legislative Bill for the protection of vending rights of street vendors and articulating the public space usage. Commissioner said government has no intention to ban on street vendors, as government considers that it provides low income group people to earn their lively hood and contributes to the economy, however street vendors should be regulated and should be registered, he added. He said various countries allow low to do that business but they are regulated there and don’t allow those who don’t get registered with the concerned department. They are mandatorily bound that the registration number issued to them are displayed on their carts. Commissioner, ensured his full support to the PRIME institute and organization involve in this prestige project. He emphasized the role of public-private partnership and civil society organize to strengthen and regulate the rights of vendors.
