In the heart of Islamabad, a recurring drama unfolds three times a week, turning a marketplace designed for the poor into a stage for systematic deception. The H-9 Bazaar, a bustling hub meant to provide affordable goods to the capital's residents, has become the setting for what locals call the 'Theatre of the Ghost Vendors.'
The Stage is Set for Deception
Every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, the H-9 Bazaar transforms. The primary actors are not the genuine, low-income allottees for whom the Capital Development Authority (CDA) created this scheme. Instead, a rotating cast of proxies takes the stage. These ghost vendors run the makeshift stalls, openly flouting the core CDA rule that explicitly prohibits subletting. The original allottees, who pay a nominal fee to the CDA, collect a hefty monthly rent from these third parties, betraying the scheme's purpose of supporting struggling households.
The Script: Laminated Excuses and Compromised Inspections
Faced with the threat of cancelled allotments, the violators have crafted a novel, almost theatrical, defense. The most visible prop in this play is the hand-written notice board. Laminated papers, often in broken Urdu, hang prominently at stall fronts. They offer creative alibis for the allottee's perpetual absence: 'The owner is out of the city,' 'In the hospital due to sudden illness,' or 'On a religious trip.'
When CDA enforcement or district administration teams conduct surprise inspections, the ghost vendors simply point to these notices. The administration, often compromised or unwilling to confront, accepts these flimsy excuses as genuine and moves on. This trickery has continued for weeks and months, with the CDA seemingly accepting these maneuvers, allowing the cycle of illegal subletting to thrive on regulatory loopholes and official connivance.
Beyond Fines: Real Risks and a Call for Action
The consequences of this negligence extend beyond mere rule-breaking. The bazaar's infrastructure poses a severe public safety risk. Narrow entry and exit points, not more than 3-4 feet wide, become deadly bottlenecks. Large crowds converge here, where the force of people pushing can cause severe injuries. In such a packed environment, any sudden panic or rush could trigger a devastating human crush.
Currently, surprise visits cause only temporary inconvenience. They do not serve as a genuine deterrent. Until the CDA moves beyond accepting illogical excuses and enforces lease agreements with firm, uncompromising action, this theatre will run unchecked. The scheme meant to uplift the poor remains a farce, exploited by those seeing it as nothing more than a lucrative business opportunity.
