From Rawalpindi to the Latin Quarter: France’s beloved Pakistani hawker

PARIS: On the cobblestone streets of Paris’ storied Latin Quarter, among the hum of conversation and clatter of café cups, a familiar figure walks quietly but purposefully, his arms full of newspapers, his smile full of warmth.

Ali Akbar, a 73-year-old newspaper vendor originally from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, has spent the last 50 years selling newspapers in Paris – eight hours a day, rain or shine, with only 20 copies sold on a good day. Yet, his presence means far more than his sales figures.

Next month, he will be honoured by French President Emmanuel Macron and knighted with the National Order of Merit – one of France’s highest civilian awards. For many Parisians, this recognition is long overdue.

Speaking to HUM News show Subh Se Aagay, Ali Akbar said, “I am really honored by the president of France”. He also shed light on his personal life. Born in Rawalpindi, Ali was the eldest of 10 siblings. He began working at the age of 18, doing odd jobs on the roads of Rawalpindi to help his family, including selling corn on the streets.

Like many of his generation, he dreamt of something more – not for himself, but for those he left behind.

In the 1970s, armed with just 500-1,000 rupees and a permit from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to purchase a modest $200 in foreign exchange, he set out on a remarkable journey by road: from Pakistan to Afghanistan, then through Iran, Turkey, and Greece, before finally reaching France.

When asked of his troubles upon his arrival in France, Ali Akbar recalled, “When you come abroad in such poverty, there’s no support. Not even from your own countrymen. You are alone.”

Ali began his life in Paris with little more than determination. He started selling copies of Charlie Hebdo outside the Sorbonne, later moving on to Le Monde and other dailies. Through the decades, bookstores turned into boutiques and smartphones replaced the printed page. However, Ali Akbar remained a quiet constant – a symbol of resilience, tradition, and kindness.

“I just love the feel of paper,” he says with a grin. “Real books. Real newspapers. Never on screens.”

His method is simple: offer a paper with a smile, perhaps a joke, and never pressure anyone. It’s this warmth that has endeared him to locals who say Akbar is “part of the soul of the Latin Quarter.”

While many who left Pakistan sought riches abroad, Akbar chose a different path. He lives modestly in France but visits his family in Pakistan almost every year. He built a house for himself, but more importantly, he provided for all his siblings back home.

“There are places in Pakistan where people don’t even have water to drink,” he says. “If I drove through those streets in a big car, wouldn’t that be an embarrassment for me?” He decided to use his hard earned earnings to make life better, not for himself, but for those he calls family here in Pakistan.

Also read: Macron to honour Paris’ last newspaper hawker. He is from Pakistan