Karachi’s Paper Market bustles with activity, flag sales surge amid election fever

In this picture, taken on December 26, 2023, the owner, Shaikh Nisar Ahmed Parchamwala, of Flag manufacturing company speaks about flags of different Pakistani political parties during an interview with Arab News at his office in Karachi, ahead of the upcoming national polls. (AN Photo)

• One of the country’s largest flag manufacturers says it has sold around 100,000 flags of political parties in recent weeks
• Flags can be seen on street corners and flying atop houses in different parts of Pakistan ahead of Feb. 8 general elections

KARACHI: Beneath the shadow of Karachi’s towering cityscape, a number of flags can be seen dancing in the breeze along a bustling road, each a vibrant emblem of Pakistan’s political fervor. In the city’s southern corner, the vivid display – lions with fierce gazes, cricket bats emblazoned with bold slogans – transforms the streetscape into a mosaic of movement and color, signaling the start of election season.
This is the gateway to Karachi’s famed Paper Market on Hassan Ali Effendi Road, a stone’s throw from the historic Urdu Book Bazaar. Here in the heart of the city lies the vibrant center of Pakistan’s political symbolism – a dynamic marketplace where the crafting and selling of political party flags begin to flourish in every election season.
Political parties across Pakistan, and indeed globally, rally their supporters with these distinct flags. The unique colors, shapes, sizes and messages on the flags resonate deeply with politically engaged supporters, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
According to vendors at the market, flag prices vary, ranging from Rs. 15 to Rs. 500, based on size.
“Currently, we are selling around 1,500 flags per day,” Jawad Jiwani, a flag seller, told Arab News this week. “As the campaigns start heating up, sales would go up to 20,000 flags per day.”
In Pakistan, it’s common to see flags tied to street lights, draping over bridges and flying atop houses, especially when the nation is in the throes of election fever. With electoral contest set for February 8, this visual spectacle has become even more pronounced.
The flag sellers in Karachi’s Paper Market say they have been benefiting from the election period, witnessing a surge in their sales.
Shaikh Nisar Ahmed Parchamwala, CEO of VIP Flags, one of the country’s largest flag manufacturers and exporters, notes that elections stimulate economic activity, including the purchase of party flags, caps, and other decorative items, in a substantial way.
“The demand for flags increases on the occasion of Independence Day, Eid-e-Milad an-Nabi [or the festivity on the Birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)] and elections,” he told Arab News.
Even before the formal start of electioneering nationwide, Parchamwala said that VIP Flags had already sold about 100,000 flags of various political parties, with more orders streaming in.
With the final list of eligible candidates soon to be released by Pakistan’s election regulator, flag sellers are gearing up for an even busier season.
According to market sellers, an average National Assembly constituency in Karachi demands about 20,000 flags.
The general elections, with their accompanying political fervor, benefit not just flag sellers but also the daily wage workers employed by them.
“Due to elections, our work increases which also benefits us [financially],” Naveed Azam, a worker at a shop selling flags, told Arab News.
“We get incentives and household expenses are managed in a better way.”