Sunday bazaars or markets are set up in different localities to cater to daily needs of millions of people. Offering commodities at rates set according to the earnings and social class of the residents of the area, these markets are a cheaper and economical option for many. Spread over a sizeable land area, Sunday markets offer the widest range of products from interior decoration items to clothing and grocery. However, such markets lack supervision and proper regulation. This is why the business activity of vendors in the market mostly goes unrecorded and unaccounted for. As the government does not take any significant measures in facilitating vendors and consumers coming to these markets through improved provision of stall arrangement and setup, the stall owners too don’t bother much to approach the higher authorities, fearing being charged with extra fee or tax. With that, the adjustment and bargain to secure a space for a stall or a bazaar setup mostly remains between the town council officials or the police – both of them allow vendors to secure a place in the market in exchange for a nominal sum of money. Further, these small local markets illustrate a perfect picture of the extent of implementation of child labour laws, as hoards of children offering to carry shopping bags and purchased items are no rare sight in these markets. It is time the higher authorities took notice of how things go in these markets. Syed Muhammad Hammad Ali (Karachi)
