Official neglect takes its toll on Peshawar Mor weekly bazaar

ISLAMABAD: While Islamabad has well-managed weekly bazaars, the neglect by authorities is creating conditions for the benefit of the sellers instead of the buyers.

The H-9 Peshawar Mor Bazaar is the largest and the most prominent of the several weekly bazaars in the city and the only place where controlled rates markets are held three days a week — on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

Though frequented by thousands of people, including a large number of foreigners, infrastructure quality at and around the bazaar is continuously declining.

Contrary to the streets of Islamabad city, professional beggars have their fixed places in the weekly bazaar.

Officials from the Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) present at the weekly bazaar declined to answer to queries regarding the declining standard and the availability of green groceries at higher than the official rates.

Director Municipal Administration retired Capt Ali Asghar also did not respond to the queries despite repeated attempts.

Staff in the office of the municipal administration said Mr Asghar was very busy as he was also holding the charge the director agriculture as well as the deputy director finance in the ICT administration.

The cleanliness condition in front of the entrances to the H-9 weekly bazaar does not match with the overall standard of the capital city. There are potholes filled with stagnant rainwater with vegetable waste littered all around.

The management of the CDA was making efforts to improve the road leading towards the bazaar but the buyers still have to move on an unpaved portion of the dusty road.

The most serious issue faced by customers is to find a parking space and they have to walk long distances even up to a km over the uneven ground whereas stallholders and the officials park their vehicles along the main boundary walls.

Some even have reserved a parking lot for themselves by cordoning off the area with the help of the official security guards by tying ropes with security barriers.

The buyers expressed concerns over the poor infrastructure around the bazaar.

A regular visitor to the bazaar complained that stallholders and officials occupy all parking spaces early in the morning.

“It is visible that loading vehicles are parked along the bazaar boundary. These vehicles do not belong to the customers and should be parked on the ground earmarked for the purpose,” said Asmat Zehra.

She said people come here to purchase items on fixed rates and avoid being fleeced by shopkeepers in the main markets.

But that benefit too fizzles out by the evening when most of the stallholders start charging at their own will.

At the same time, many stallholders are bold enough to charge rates higher than the ones fixed by the administration.

“The official rate of green chillies is Rs50 per kg but almost everybody is selling it at Rs160 per kg here and same is the case with garlic and some other items,” said Tariq Khan, adding: “I lodged a complaint with the officials last week but things are still the same.”

The conditions are similar at other weekly bazaars managed by the MCI.