Tahira Habib Jalib, daughter of renowned revolutionary poet Habib Jalib, has claimed that she was offered Rs5,000 per week to run her roadside dhaba without interference.
Despite rising inflation and difficult circumstances, Tahira Habib Jalib sought to earn a respectable livelihood through her own hard work rather than asking anyone for financial help. After finding that teaching driving from her car did not leave her with any savings, she decided to start a mobile dhaba in her vehicle.
For the venture, she purchased utensils and other equipment on credit. However, she said the district administration and local mafia did not allow her to work peacefully even for a single day.
Speaking exclusively to ARY News, Tahira Habib Jalib said she wanted to earn a lawful livelihood rather than beg or ask anyone for help, while maintaining the dignity of being Habib Jalib’s daughter.
According to her, several people came to her dhaba on the evening of its first day and, in a threatening tone, told her that “Maryam Nawaz has ordered” that no dhaba could be set up there.
She said some other individuals subsequently suggested that she quietly pay Rs5,000 per week, after which no one would interfere with her.
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Tahira Habib Jalib said she had formally submitted applications to the town and deputy commissioner’s offices on June 3 seeking legal permission to operate the dhaba. However, she said that despite months passing, the relevant authorities had neither paid attention to her applications nor provided her with a model cart or cabin.
She said that after the incident triggered activity at the media and district administration levels, including calls from the commissioner and deputy commissioner, she made it clear that she no longer needed any assistance or favour from the administration.
She questioned why politicians and people read Habib Jalib’s poetry with such enthusiasm but never seek permission from his family to read it.
“Today, I am being asked why I did not seek permission to work,” she said, questioning whether people in the country would also need permission to walk, breathe and live.
