In Pakistan’s crowded institutional landscape, one authority has emerged as a pioneering model of financial discipline, social impact, and market regulation: the Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority (PSBA).

At the center of this transformation is Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad, whose leadership has redefined consumer relief, stabilized markets, and built a self-sustaining framework of welfare economics. His stewardship of PSBA marks the first time in Pakistan’s history that a statutory authority dedicated to consumer relief has operated without subsidies—delivering measurable impact at scale.

From 20 Bazaars to 105: A Story of Expansion

The journey began when the Punjab Model Bazaars Management Company managed only 20 bazaars across the province. Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad, recognizing both inefficiency and untapped potential, spearheaded legislative reforms to transform the company into a statutory authority.

Today, PSBA is running 105 bazaars with Rs. 10 billion allocated by the provincial government. Fourteen new bazaars are already set to launch in key cities including Mandi Bahauddin, Sharaqpur, Wazirabad, Jaranwala, Bhalwal, Noshera Virkan, Pattoki, Chunian, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Okara, Burewala, and Jalalpur.

This expansion has built a province-wide welfare grid, giving millions of citizens access to regulated, affordable marketplaces.

Direct Livelihood Impact: Creating Jobs at Scale

Unlike many social sector programs that distribute aid, PSBA bazaars directly generate livelihoods. Each bazaar houses about 100 stalls, each employing two workers. Based on household averages, every worker supports six family members.

14 new bazaars: 1,400 stalls, 2,800 direct jobs, 16,800 people supported.

105 full bazaars: 10,500 stalls, 21,000 direct jobs, 126,000 people supported.

This scale makes PSBA Punjab’s largest livelihood engine, eclipsing peers like the Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF), Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), or Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC), none of which directly create employment at this magnitude.

Stabilizing Prices: A Daily Battle Against Inflation

Inflation remains Pakistan’s most persistent economic challenge. PSBA bazaars offer essential commodities 10–30% cheaper than the open market, producing three critical outcomes:

1. Household relief: Lower food bills, more disposable income.

2. Market discipline: Competing retailers reduce prices to remain viable.

3. Policy advantage: PSBA bazaars generate real-time price data for government monitoring.

Other institutions such as PEEF, LWMC, or cattle market companies have no influence on inflation. PSBA is the only authority functioning as a live inflation anchor.

Financial Stability: A Subsidy-Free Success Story

One of PSBA’s most remarkable features is its subsidy-free financial model. In contrast to nearly all comparable organizations, PSBA not only covers its costs but generates consistent surpluses.

• Annual surpluses every year since its transition, peaking at 5.4% in
• Debt-to-asset ratio of 0.15, placing it in the low-risk category.
• Equity share at 85%, creating a fortress balance sheet.
• Unqualified audit opinions, reinforcing its governance credibility.
• Over 90% program spending directed to public-facing initiatives.

Peer organizations like PSDF, PPIF, and LWMC remain dependent on subsidies or external donor support, many running deficits. PSBA stands alone as a financially independent welfare engine.

Formalizing the Informal: Business Ecosystem Impact

Beyond consumer relief, PSBA bazaars act as micro-enterprise incubators:

• 21,000 vendors and workers are being integrated into the formal economy.
• Vendors enjoy predictable costs, high customer footfall, and clean facilities.
• Farmers gain direct market access, bypassing exploitative middlemen.
• Vendors build creditworthiness by participating in regulated systems.

Where peers like PSDF focus on training, PSBA provides daily, sustainable business platforms, blending welfare with entrepreneurship.

A Model Worth Replicating: Influence Beyond Retail

The most striking validation of PSBA’s model is its replication in other flagship Punjab programs:

Maryam Ki Dastak: Inspired by PSBA’s home delivery, this initiative now delivers over 70 government services—ranging from domicile certificates to vehicle registrations—directly to citizens’ homes. Within one year, it expanded to 40 districts, processing more than 300,000 requests.

Free Medicine Delivery Project: Managed by Punjab’s Health Department, this program brings free medicines for chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiac diseases directly to patients’ homes. Mobile “Clinic on Wheels” units complement the service.

Both programs explicitly borrowed from PSBA’s pioneering doorstep delivery model, proving the authority’s influence beyond its own mandate.

The Man Behind the Model: Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad

At the heart of PSBA’s achievements is Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad, an administrator described by observers as an institution builder. His innovations include:

• Legislatively transforming a stagnant company into a statutory authority.
• Introducing the subsidy-free operating model.
• Expanding bazaars to 105 across Punjab.
• Establishing PSBA as a tool for inflation monitoring.
• Designing a model now adopted in governance and healthcare delivery.

His leadership has redefined what public authorities in Pakistan can achieve through vision, discipline, and innovation.

A Living Blueprint for Pakistan

The Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority, under Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad, has emerged as:

• A subsidy-free welfare engine delivering consumer relief.
• A job creation machine, supporting 126,000 citizens directly.
• A market stabilizer, anchoring inflation through daily price discipline.
• A business incubator, formalizing 21,000 small enterprises.
• A financially disciplined authority, consistently producing surpluses.

Most importantly, it has become a replicable governance model, already mirrored in flagship service delivery and healthcare initiatives.

As Pakistan seeks sustainable solutions to balance welfare with fiscal realities, PSBA stands as a living example of how institutional innovation can stabilize prices, create livelihoods, and extend the reach of government services. Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad’s leadership has not only built an authority but has offered the nation a blueprint for welfare without collapse—an achievement of both originality and lasting significance.