Daily Times

KARACHI: Women dry fruit venders, sitting outside the historical Empress Market staged protest demonstration against police at Karachi Press Club on Monday.

Protesters, attired in traditional colorful dresses, said that police have forced them to leave their temporary shops and also abused them. “We are selling dry fruits on roadside at Empress Market for last many decades but now police have asked us to leave the place, this is the only source of income that supports us to make our both ends meet”, said Bhagwati, one of the protesters.

Belonging to lower caste Hindus, Bhagwati is the only bread earner of her family of seven.

She said that a policeman of the area, Nawaz has placed a container where they used to sit to sell dry fruits. “Due to the container many women have left the area and many others are compelled to leave as well but we have no where to go”, Bhagwati complained.

She claimed that so many other pushcart and street venders are still present at the place but police only targeted them. “He (Nawaz) threatened us and used abusive language and we believe that it is nothing else but a discriminatory attitude of police towards women and minorities”, she cried.

The women venders purchase dry fruits from the Judya Bazar and just earn commission by selling the fruits. “My husband also sells dry-fruits in small plastic-bags in various areas of the city and earn up to Rs 500 and we are content whatever we get but for the last two weeks the police has ruined our small business”, said another protester.

A 45-year-old lady Lakshmi said that it is easier for them to sit at a place and sale dry fruit rather than become street vender and roam around the city. “I cannot do that job at this age”, she added.

Sangeeta, one of the protestors, said that they live in huts near Light House for which they pay Rs 400 rent per month. “We are unable to celebrate our religious festival due to poverty”, she added.