When travelling in Pakistan there is every likelihood that you will stumble upon the culture of the middleman. In a country where wages are low and jobs at a premium, it is perhaps not surprising that people find ways to eke out an existence and to make money as best they can. As a tourist, you will be perceived as being wealthy, because Pakistanis think all foreigners are.
Taxi Drivers are in the Frontline of the Middleman Industry
In most tourist destinations all over the world,taxi drivers will spot a tourist from whom they can make money. They might become a fast ‘friend’ and offer to take you to a strip club-in Greece for example, not in Pakistan, which is an Islamic Republic. In Lahore, however, they might offer to take men to the famous red light district. More usually, they will take tourists, Pakistanis or foreigners to a hotel if one has not been booked in advance, and receive ‘commission’ from the hotelier. They might introduce you to a restaurant in a large city, or offer other services for which they will be paid when you have parted with some of your cash. Most travelers are aware of this habit, but choose to ignore it as the driver is, after all doing them a service.
Official Departments are Surrounded by Middlemen
If you need to get an official document from any government department, perhaps a travel permit, if you want to go to one of the outlying provinces, then there will be a queue. There will also be men sitting or standing with official forms in their hands, who will offer to facilitate your paperwork for a small sum, or others who will stand in the queue for you while you go to get a cup of tea or other refreshments. They will perform the service for you and even get documents signed. However these are not always signed by an official signatory although the signature will be authorized by an official stamp. This will only cause you problems if a senior official scrutinizes the document later, as such people often recognize the correct signature.
Banks and Post Offices Also Attract “Facilitators”
There are usually men sitting outside banks and Post Offices in busy areas, especially those near government offices. They perform a service for the illiterate, and fill in forms for them. However, they don’t like to miss a customer, so will offer their services to everyone. Forms are in English or Urdu, so don’t be lead into the false belief that you need a translator. You don’t. You also may not wish to hand over your passport to a person sitting at a makeshift table outside a bank, for example. The forms are available inside the building and you can fill them in quite easily yourself. You only pay a small amount to the middleman, but it is unnecessary.
The Culture of the Middleman is Everywhere
If you need hospital treatment, there will be a long wait before you are seen by a doctor in a hospital, but there are people who can ease your path and hurry the process along, for a fee. It has been known for people to be refused a wheelchair because in the emergency situation they have forgotten to take their I.D. card to the hospital with them. In this instance, if you need a wheelchair you have to grease at least one palm.
In the law courts your case might be postponed until the next day and you could be told to return the next day. This could be a case of tomorrow never coming until you pay to get it into court. However you may have to pay several people to expedite this.
Middlemen in the News
There are middlemen who control the wages of home workers, usually women who make garments, do embroidery, or make bags or bangles for a pittance. Such women may be the family’s only breadwinner, and despite their pitiful wages, they know that there are other women who would jump at the chance of their job, if they were to ask the middleman for more money. The middleman is contracted by the manufacturer to deliver the required items, and no questions are asked about where the items come from or how much workers are paid.
Of course there was the cricket scandal in which a middleman was caught fixing spot-betting in an international cricket match between England and Pakistan. This mainly affected gambling in South Asia, but the scandal did nothing to improve Pakistan’s image around the globe.
If you travel to Pakistan, be aware of the existence of the middleman and decide for yourself if you require his services. He can make things easier for you, but it depends on you and your circumstances whether you avail yourself of his services.
Related Articles
31st August 2010, “Spot Betting: How does it Work?” BBC.co.uk
David Bond, 5th September 2010, "'Sting Cash' found on Pakistani Cricketers" BBC.co.uk
Zofeen Ebrahim, 25th Jan. 2010, “Pakistan: Home-Based Workers Struggle to Climb Out of Poverty” Institute of Policy Studies/International Labor Rights Forum
Lynne Evans, 7th August 2010, “Travelling in the Punjab, Pakistan on Public Transport” Suite 101
Lynne Evans - I have a BA(hons) in English and American Lit, and a MEd in TEFL and multicultural education.I have been a consultant in the fields of ...
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