ISLAMABAD: It had been an eventful day at parliament. The estranged PTI lawmakers had returned to the house after nine months drawing bitter reactions from ruling party MNAs, and the joint session saw heated debate on the conflict in Yemen.

But as parliamentarians strolled out of the morning session exchanging pleasantries, PPP MNA Shazia Marri haggled with the clerk at the Souvenir Shop, located in the lobby of the National Assembly.

“This is the first time I have entered this shop. Even though I am happy that something is on offer here, I feel like so much more can be done,” she said as she browsed the trinkets on display.

Surrounded by a cordon of heavy security and numerous barriers, the parliament building rarely has ordinary citizens visiting the building or the souvenir shop.

“Most of my customers are visiting foreign dignitaries, the lawmakers themselves or their cronies,” said the clerk as the MNA left the shop.

“No one is ever happy paying the price on the tag, they all want to bargain. Sometimes, I offer to take them to the Super Market [in Sector F-6] and challenge them that if they find someone selling the same item for less, they can have this one for free,” the clerk said.

“No one ever agrees. But they are all big shots, how can I argue with them,” he added wryly.

Parliament’s unknown souvenir shop is a fascinating, if surreal window into Pakistani politics

The shop is run by the parliament secretariat and the clerk behind the counter is a government employee. He is responsible for choosing the items to stock. This, he said, is no easy task. The shop must reflect not just the members of the house but also the people they represent.

Earlier, Shazia Marri had picked up a box containing cufflinks with an image of the parliament building printed on them.

“The quality of printing is very poor and there is such a lack of creativity. Look at this box, there is so much that can be done with it. Our country has the best craftsmen in the world but this shop does not reflect that,” she said.

“I am very hurt by what madam has said about the shop,” said the clerk after she left.

“She has never come here before. I wish she had visited the shop in 2011, when I first took over, and seen how I’ve turned it around. Speaker sahib comes by a lot and he likes what I have done with the place,” he said.

The shop’s repertoire is impressive, if a little tacky. Mugs with photographs of political heavyweights stretched across them are arranged in the showcase. There is Altaf Hussain circa 1990, Imran Khan looking unusually calm, Asif Ali Zardari wearing his signature grin and Maulana Fazlur Rehman wagging his finger. There is even a mug for the chief of army staff, with a hazy picture printed next to the emblem of Government College, Lahore, his old alma mater.

And those who fancy a politician in their pocket can buy a keychain with the picture of the party leader of their choice printed on it.

“Where is Benazir Bhutto’s mug,” a customer asked pointedly.

The query threw the clerk into a frenzy of activity and he began to rummage through cabinets and boxes. “It’s here! We had it displayed, it just got sold! Look,” he said as he pulled one out.

“I am just a measly government servant. I have no political affiliations,” he added defensively.

The clerk said he travels all over Pakistan, collecting the best of Pakistani handicrafts. There are leather tissue boxes and picture frames with delicate multi-coloured embroidery from Balochistan, Kashmiri embroidered shawls, hand painted camel skin lamps and blue pottery vases from Multan, glittering models of Faisal Mosque in metal, a marble plate with a picture of the Kabbah, hand knotted rugs and leather brief cases, diaries and wallets with the monograms of the Senate of Pakistan and the National Assembly printed on them among many other items, most of which have monograms printed on them.

Some oil-paintings are also on display. They are all by the same artists and are neither very imaginative nor local.

For the handicrafts, the prices are reasonable. A glass plate with a National Assembly emblem and a wooden stand is only priced at Rs500. A mug is between Rs200 and Rs300 and a handmade leather picture frame is for Rs400.

While the items on display at the shop are not exactly creative, the clerk managing stock is no designer and the effort from this employee of the Small Industries Department is worth appreciation.

However, if a branch for the shop was opened near the gates of the parliament building tourists visiting the capital could also purchase souvenirs to take home. With more customers, specialists could be hired to design more creative souvenirs for stock.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2015

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