From relief markets to structured retail system: Punjab expands Sahulat Bazaars

LAHORE: The Sahulat Bazaar system in Punjab has evolved beyond the traditional Ramzan relief market model and is now moving toward a permanent network of regulated public markets, according to Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority (PSBA) Director General Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad.

In an interviewl, Ahmad said the earlier perception existed because relief markets in Pakistan were historically organised mainly during Ramzan, but the vision behind the Sahulat Bazaar system is different.

He said the government is working toward establishing a permanent and structured network of markets that operate throughout the year so citizens can access essential commodities in a transparent environment. According to him, the aim is to move beyond temporary relief measures and develop a sustainable retail system that benefits both consumers and small traders.

On a question, Ahmad said Punjab currently operates 49 permanent Sahulat Bazaars across the province. He added that 13 new Sahulat Bazaars were recently inaugurated by PSBA Chairperson Afzal Khokhar and are now fully operational in their respective areas.

He further said that 15 mobile markets have also been introduced under the “Sahulat on the Go” concept to provide organised retail access in neighbourhoods where permanent infrastructure does not yet exist.

Replying to a question, he said  during Ramzan the network expands further as 11 temporary Ramzan Bazaars are set up in cities where permanent Sahulat Bazaars are not available. He said that with these additions, the total number of operational markets across Punjab reaches around 75 during the holy month.

Talking about stall allocation, Ahmad said the authority adopted a fully transparent balloting process. He said an average of five applications were received for each stall, reflecting strong interest from traders in participating in the organised markets.

On a question, He said the balloting process was conducted openly and the entire procedure was video recorded so that anyone could review it if needed. According to him, no complaint or objection has been raised regarding the fairness of the process.

Ahmad said public participation in the markets continues to grow, particularly during Ramzan. He said authorities expect the footfall across Sahulat and Ramzan Bazaars to exceed 60 million visitors this year.

Responding to a question, he added that last year the estimated footfall was around 20 million, which shows how rapidly the system is expanding and how strongly citizens are responding to it.

Regarding monitoring, Ahmad said the PSBA has established a central control monitoring room at its head office. He said the facility is equipped with 50 monitoring screens and allows authorities to monitor around 1,500 surveillance cameras installed across Sahulat Bazaars in Punjab in real time.

According to him, the monitoring system helps maintain discipline in pricing, availability of commodities, cleanliness and overall market management.

In a question, said the long-term plan of the Punjab government is to expand the Sahulat Bazaar system across the entire province so that temporary Ramzan Bazaars will eventually no longer be required.

He said the goal is to establish Sahulat Bazaars in every tehsil of Punjab. Currently, he said, the markets are operational in more than 50 tehsils while around 70 tehsils are in the planning phase for new markets.

Talking about the mobile market initiative, Ahmad said the “Sahulat on the Go” model is designed to bring organised markets directly into neighbourhoods.

According to Ahmad, customer feedback is also an important part of the system. He said that if any citizen registers a complaint, it is recorded through the authority’s call system and all feedback calls are documented and analysed to help improve operations.

Ahmad said sugar is available at Rs140 per kilogram during Ramzan with government facilitation but without any subsidy burden on the exchequer. He added that cooking oil and ghee brands such as Sufi and Dalda are available with discounts of around Rs16 per kilogram.

Responding to a question, h e further said chicken is generally available Rs15 to Rs16 per kilogram lower than market rates while a 10-kilogram bag of flour is available in Sahulat Bazaars at around Rs850.

According to him, the service will be further strengthened and expanded so that it becomes an integral part of the Sahulat Bazaar system.

On a questionaire, Ahmad said the Sahulat Bazaar network is gradually evolving into a structured model of public service delivery that combines consumer welfare, market transparency and support for small traders within a single institutional framework.