August 25, 2026
By Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has repeatedly recited verses from revolutionary poet Habib Jalib’s famous poem Dastoor in his political speeches and rallies. But today, the daughter of the very same Habib Jalib says she is facing extortion and injustice.
Tahira Habib Jalib, set up a small stall selling lentils, rice (daal chawal) and tea in the Karim Block market area to meet her household expenses — only to have government officials shut it down on its very first day, with Tahira alleging that officials demanded extortion money from her in exchange for letting her operate.
PERA denies extortion allegations
Amid the backlash over the incident, the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) issued a clarification on August 24, denying any involvement and rejecting the allegation that its officials had demanded money from Tahira Habib Jalib.
In its statement, PERA said it had looked into the matter with respect for the daughter of renowned poet Habib Jalib. According to the authority, no PERA official had stopped her from operating the cart or demanded any money from her. PERA said that if there is any evidence showing a PERA official was involved, a complaint should be filed through the relevant government complaint mechanism — adding that an impartial investigation would follow, and that action would be taken against any official if an allegation against them is proven.
Tahira rejects PERA’s explanation
Tahira Habib Jalib rejected PERA’s clarification in a social media post, calling it “a bundle of lies” and reiterating her allegation that money had been demanded from her.
“PERA’s explanation is a bundle of lies. The whole of Punjab is familiar with their behaviour, conduct and manner of speaking. People are afraid to say anything about them because they fear that we will be picked up,” she said.
She said she had spoken about the incident with full responsibility and stood by her allegations. “If I have spoken, I have done so with full responsibility. Money was demanded from me. The Municipal Corporation was also involved, and PERA was also involved,” she said.
Tahira questioned why people generally don’t speak openly about the authority, and argued that instead of denying the allegations, officials should address public concerns about their conduct.
“First of all, no one speaks about them. If I have had the courage to speak, that is now being denied and they are trying to save face. What should have happened was that they should have been ashamed of their behaviour and addressed the concerns that the entire public has about their code of conduct. Instead, they are shamelessly calling everything a lie.”
She added that incidents involving the authority are already widely documented online.
“Their actions are all over social media. That alone is enough to open people’s eyes.”
Tahira raises broader questions about PERA’s conduct
In a follow-up statement, Tahira pushed back against suggestions that she should have filmed the alleged incident as proof. She said her priority at the moment was protecting her livelihood and belongings, not recording video, and questioned whether every citizen facing enforcement action has the safety, resources or legal protection to stand and film officials. She acknowledged she has no video of the incident but said the absence of footage does not mean it did not happen.
She said her concern was not limited to a single incident, pointing to what she described as a pattern of public complaints against PERA’s conduct, including several videos already circulating on social media questioning the force’s procedures. She argued that a public institution should treat such complaints seriously rather than dismiss them as defamation.
Tahira laid out a specific set of demands, calling on PERA to make its code of conduct public — including the language officials are permitted to use with citizens during enforcement, the legal procedure for confiscating goods, the process for issuing fines, protocols for dealing with women, legal requirements around detaining a citizen, and what action follows if an official exceeds their authority.
She also invoked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s “zero tolerance” stance on encroachments, asking how someone carrying goods on their shoulder to earn a living should be treated under that policy, and argued that enforcement should be humane and balanced — not applied selectively to the poor while officials themselves remain unaccountable. She extended the same challenge to the CM’s description of women as her “red line,” questioning who is responsible for that red line when incidents of abduction, sexual violence and murder against women continue.
“Asking a question is my right, and answering it is the responsibility of a public institution.”
Meanwhile head of South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) head, Imtiaz Alam has announced a donation of 100,000 rupees for Jalib.
My dear Tahira, daughter of my friend and people’s poet Habib Jalib, you are invited to put your stall for home/made food before our office. Moreover, Jalib committee will contribute Rs 100,000 for a start-up business. https://t.co/8j31khyVLg
— Imtiaz Alam (@ImtiazAlamSAFMA) August 25, 2026
A passion for cooking, an attempt to earn a living
Tahira says she has always had a passion for cooking, and decided to turn that passion into a source of income and achieve financial independence by starting a mobile food cart, selling food prepared at home. There was a small vacant space next to Kareem Block Ground, where cars are parked, and the people there recognised her as Habib Jalib’s daughter and told her she was welcome to set up.
Speaking to Voicepk, Tahira said the response was very encouraging. “I worked there for three or four hours and got a very good response. Girls came, children came, women and men also came. Everyone said the taste was very good, and that the food was clean and well prepared.”
Officials arrive and allegedly demand extortion money
According to Tahira, local municipal and PERA enforcement officials arrived soon after the stall was set up and ordered her to remove the cart. She says eight or nine officials came to the site, one of whom spoke harshly to her niece. When her niece explained that the dhaba belonged to them and asked him to speak respectfully, the official allegedly asked whether they had obtained permission from Maryam Nawaz, and warned that if the dhaba was not removed, all the equipment would be broken and taken away.
According to Tahira, one official said, “Baji, leave this place. The Pera force has its own share. Keep paying Rs. 5,000 a week, and then no one will bother you or come near your stall. This is our duty and responsibility.”
Some time later, another official allegedly repeated the demand after reducing the amount: “Baji, don’t take stress. No one will say anything to your stall; no one will even ask about it. You just have to pay Rs. 1000 on a daily basis to us.”
Tahira said that after she refused, she was forced to leave with her belongings: “I came home. I had borrowed money and collected every single thing to put all this equipment together. They told me that until we give them Rs. 5,000 a week or Rs. 1000 every day, they will not let us work.”
Model Cart application rejected
Tahira also told Voicepk that her application for a Model Cart, submitted in June 2026 and received by the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Lahore, on June 3, was rejected — a copy of which has been provided to Voicepk. It was only after this rejection that she decided to start a mobile cart instead, preparing food at home to sell outdoors. This was her latest attempt at earning a living after previously working as a taxi driver for a private ride-sharing service and running a female driving school; she had to quit ride-sharing because of the steep rise in petrol prices.
Tahira said she was not embarrassed about earning a living by selling food, and was proud of supporting herself through her own effort.
“I don’t need money from anyone. I am doing what I love, which is cooking, and I am doing it by my own choice.”
She said being Habib Jalib’s daughter did not mean she would spend her life under anyone’s influence or wait for compensation in her father’s name: “I am not helpless. I am not a woman who is forced to work. I am a woman who is working by her own choice. I make my own decisions and choose my own path. I am following my father’s path and carrying forward my father’s legacy in my own way.”
Social media debate and questions
The incident, and now PERA’s rejection of Tahira’s account, has sparked intense debate on social media over whether Habib Jalib’s poetry will continue to be used merely as slogans against rival rulers at political rallies, or whether the rights of workers and ordinary citizens reflected in his words will also be recognised by those now in power.
“If Habib Jalib’s children can be treated this way, then how can an ordinary citizen, a labourer or someone running a small business earn a living?” she asks.