Our political environment often brings delays and unfulfilled promises, but the Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority (PSBA) has quietly turned into one of the province’s largest public relief programmes, with plans now in motion to take the model nationwide.

The PSBA under Director General Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad has been allocated a dedicated Rs10 billion funding in the Punjab Annual Development Programme 2025-26 to set up 100 Sahulat Bazaars in all tehsils of the province. Officials say the programme, which sells essential goods at affordable rates, is now viewed as a model for governance by federal and provincial institutions alike. The authority was created after converting the Punjab Model Bazaars Management Company into a statutory body through legislation. Naveed says this shift from a company to an authority provided operational autonomy and formal oversight, allowing the programme to grow. “The authority model gave us the scale to think big,” he told this reporter.

The legislative process, involving the Cabinet Committee, Provincial Cabinet, and Punjab Assembly, passed without opposition. According to officials, the planning was thorough, with fiscal models and data simulations prepared in advance. Federal authorities have praised the smooth transition, calling it one of the most effective institutional reforms in recent years.

Every tehsil in Punjab should have at least one Sahulat Bazaar within the next year, with mobile units reaching areas where setting up permanent structures is impractical.

One of PSBA’s recent initiatives is “Sahulat On the........

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