The Sardar Alam Khan Road is also known as Bird Market in Rawalpindi. As you enter the market the chirping of birds welcomes you to an environment totally different from other areas. There are around 35 bird shops and a variety of birds available in the market gives opportunity to the visitors to pick their favourite pet bird. There are some shops which also offer the sale and purchase of animals like cats, rabbits and dogs. In recent years, the market has also emerged as a favourite place to buy colourful fish and aquariums. One can see colourful fish and handmade aquariums on the roadside along with the cages. Tariq Majeed, the owner of a bird shop, says, “When I started this business 35 years ago, there were only four or five shops in the area. Now it’s a whole market.” He adds, “I used to keep pigeons at home but with the passage of time my interest in birds increased and later I started selling other birds.” Another shopkeeper, Mohammad Babar, said, “All kinds of pet birds are available in this market with prices ranging from Rs50 to Rs50,000.” He said parrots and Australian sparrows were the most in demand. There are green parrots, grey parrots, Australian sparrows, doves, hens, chicken, ducks, turkey hen, partridge, quails and Desi roosters for sale. According to the traders, the birds are imported from Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and some cities of Punjab. “My father promised me that he would buy me a parrot if I scored good marks in the exams,” said Hashaam Ali, 10, at a bird shop with his father. “It’s like a dream come true” he said. “Who doesn’t like birds? Everyone likes parrots, pigeons and hens,” said another shopkeeper, Mohammad Imran, who has been in the bird-selling business since 1991. “You don’t need special training to keep the pet birds. All you need is love and care,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2014