This is part of a limited series, “14 Days, 14 Stories”, about ordinary Pakistanis who are doing extraordinary things in order to give back to Pakistan.
So we all talk about how the world is becoming increasingly intolerant and everyone is just selfish and distrustful of people. Of course, events that happen around us, like this or this, don’t exactly help allay those fears, do they?
The world isn’t as dark, however. There are people who still give us hope. People who are selfless, giving and caring. People who make us proud to call ourselves Pakistani.
This vegetable vendor in Lahore makes Pakistan worth living in
Muhammad Habib has a vegetable shop in Main Market Lahore. He runs a business that is an ordinary shop by day and a place run by the power of ‘trust’ and with the help of the neighborhood, at night.
Habib leaves his shop open yet unattended at night
Yes, absolutely unattended. The shop is left open during the night so those who find it convenient can buy vegetables during that time.
Arsalan Mahmood Khan works in the vicinity and he noticed the shop during his commute. He posted about the vegetable vendor on Facebook.
The shop runs on trust and faith, during the evenings
According to Arsalan, the community is honorable enough to write into the receipts book the amount of vegetables bought so the next morning when Muhammad Habib or his younger brother Farukh Javed, who runs the shop with him, can make record and collect the amounts due.
His customers are caring, more careful while measuring quantity in his absence and the sales go on even when he’s sleeping.
Arsalan talked to one of the customers at the vegetable stall and they told him that the Muhammad Habib does this to facilitate the neighborhood and he has absolute faith in the goodwill and honesty of his customers. The gesture is indeed returned.
The honesty and faith in community by the vegetable vendor gives us hope
It is a testament that there are still people in Pakistan who aren’t jaded by this big bad world. Thankfully, the community does not give him a reason to become cynical about the world, yet.
“Yes, this is Pakistan”
In his conversation with MangoBaaz, Arsalan said that he posted about this unorthodox arrangement on Facebook because of how amazing it made him feel.
His post reads, “no legislation, no rules for such sales or protection of stock. Not yet interrupted by any authorities, hence working outstanding. No theft reported. All is the mutual understanding between people.”
For other stories in the series, check out “14 Days, 14 Stories“.
