KARACHI, March 19: City markets are these days flooded with various goods of Chinese origin, from diaries and stationery to electronic appliances and different types of kitchen items.

These attractive articles are specially attracting the attention of the passersby because of their sale on footpaths, either in Saddar, Boulton Market or Liaquatabad.

“We are selling these items for as low a profit as Re1, because we don’t have to pay any taxes, electricity bills or any other expenses to the city government or any other civic agency,” said a vendor.

“What is sometimes feared is that policemen might throw us away, but because we have such a limited number of items that in case of any operation, we easily manage to wrap our staff and wait for the suitable time and place”.

The policemen these days are specially facilitating us in earning a living, said the vendor selling wireless phones, adding “a large number of unemployed youth have thus managed to set up stalls and have been earning a handsome amount. In some cases, we have to bribe the officials,” he added.

Although a variety of items are available, the consumers find it difficult to purchase all of them due to their limited income.

Same is the situation with the shopkeepers who have kept a host of items with them in the hope that they all would be sold out in due course of time, but what they experience problem when not all the items are sold because people have limited resources and they cannot but make a choice from amongst a variety of items.

Although all the items are not too costly, nor so cheap, but they are available in different attractive varieties, and that too are quite cheap as compared to those in the local origin, or exported items from any European country.

“I was actually going to my place of work, and had the limited amount in my pocket, but I am confused which sort of items I should purchase first.”

In Saddar, there are cigarette lighters on sale on the price as low as for Rs5. A majority of the toys are the replica of those which children used to see on TV screen or had ever read in newspapers. All these items are available in the miniature form and there are supersonic aircraft, jumbos jets, helicopters and comfortable buses, and toy phones, etc. The toys are available for Rs35 and Rs290.

Moreover, beautiful sharpeners, erasers and various varieties of pens are available for Rs10 and too of the Chinese origin which were never seen before.

The married couples should beware and they should not visit such bazaars with their children because they would be put into trouble and the children would be asking for all such items which would appeal them, said a pedestrian, commenting “you can’t purchase all items in one go.”