Summary KP Assembly approved a landmark street-vendor protection law, providing registration, digital certificates, vending zones, eviction safeguards and an appeals mechanism for over 140,000 vendors.
PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has passed the Ehsaas Rehri Baan Livelihood Protection Bill 2026, granting legal protection to more than 140,000 street vendors across the province.
Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam presented the bill in the assembly, which introduces a comprehensive legal framework covering the registration, licensing, vending zones, rights and appeals of street vendors.
Under the legislation, individuals aged 14 years or above will be eligible to register as street vendors. Registration and a vending certificate will be mandatory for all street vendors.
Registered vendors will receive QR code-based digital vending certificates, valid for two years and renewable. The certificate may be suspended or cancelled for providing false information or violating prescribed conditions, with vendors retaining the right to appeal such decisions.
The bill provides registered vendors with legal protection against unjustified harassment and eviction. Authorities will not be allowed to evict a registered vendor without providing an alternative location, while a minimum 15-day written notice will be required before eviction.
Operating without a valid vending certificate will constitute a punishable offence. Selling or transferring a vending certificate may attract a fine of up to Rs3,000, while repeated violations or resistance could result in a fine of up to Rs20,000, imprisonment for one month, or both.
The legislation also provides for action against illegal encroachments, violations of cleanliness regulations and the sale of prohibited items. Government officials found harassing vendors may face departmental action, while harassment by shopkeepers or citizens could result in a Rs20,000 fine or one month’s imprisonment.
According to the bill, more than 140,000 street vendors in the province generate annual business exceeding Rs380 billion, while the street-vending sector contributes around Rs130 billion annually to the national economy.
The government expects effective regulation of the sector to generate an additional Rs2.5 billion to Rs5 billion in annual revenue, while the legislation is being described as the first comprehensive legal framework for street vendors under local governments in the province.
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session was adjourned until August 26.
