Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar on Tuesday announced the government’s decision to provide legal protection to street vendors in the capital city, a news source reported. She was addressing a webinar organised by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).
The special assistant stated that the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) had resumed the consultation process on the initiative following a temporary halt seen in the wake of the coronavirus spread. She added that the PASSD would collaborate with the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) to draft a legislative bill for providing legal cover to street vendors.
Dr Nishtar said that these individuals contributed to the global urban economy by providing goods and services to middle and low-income groups; adding that their potential in Pakistan had not been realized despite the formulation of a policy in 1986 as well as several consultative sessions of the Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) held in 2015 and 2017.
She further stated that the existing framework envisaged responsibilities and penalties, but a comprehensive structure detailing the rights, privileges and entitlements of street vendors was yet to be devised.
