82% Prices Lower, 88% Shoppers Satisfied at Sahulat Bazaars: Survey

By Farzana Chaudhry — Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: Under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, food items are being sold at subsidised rates across the province through Sahulat Bazaars, with a recent survey indicating high levels of public satisfaction regarding both prices and quality.
According to a survey conducted by the Directorate General Monitoring and Evaluation, 82 per cent of prices in Sahulat Bazaars are lower than market rates, while 88 per cent of consumers expressed satisfaction with the quality and freshness of products. More than 90 per cent of shoppers also appreciated the accessibility of the bazaars and reported feeling safe at these locations.
The Chief Minister praised citizens for record purchases at Sahulat Bazaars and commended the administration, PERA force, and Suthra Punjab teams for maintaining high standards of cleanliness, monitoring, and quality control. She also instructed authorities to establish additional Sahulat Bazaars in Lahore to further facilitate the public.
CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif highlighted the encouraging participation of women, noting that 52.4 per cent of shoppers in the “Sahulat on the Go” initiative were women, and congratulated Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority Chairman Afzal Khokhar for the initiative.
The survey also revealed that 91 per cent of vendors in conventional Sahulat Bazaars were satisfied with low stall rents, while over 85 per cent of “Sahulat on the Go” dealers were pleased with affordable rental arrangements and infrastructural support. Overall, 72.6 per cent of shoppers were men and 26.2 per cent were women.
Currently, 49 permanent Sahulat Bazaars are fully operational across Punjab. In Lahore, 10 permanent Sahulat Bazaars and 15 “Sahulat on the Go” units are functioning, alongside 11 temporary Ramazan bazaars established across the province.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif emphasized that relief must not remain a slogan, but should be visible, measurable, and accessible to the public. She said that satisfaction levels exceeding 80 per cent across all categories reflect genuine public benefit, and added that Sahulat Bazaars are also providing a structured business environment for small traders.