The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has passed the Street Vendors Protection Bill 2026, introducing a formal system to register street vendors and provide them with digital vending certificates.
The new law is expected to cover more than 140,000 street vendors across the province. Under the system, vendors aged 14 and above will be able to register and receive QR-coded digital certificates that identify their legal vending status.
The legislation aims to provide greater protection to registered vendors by preventing unjust harassment and eviction. At the same time, vendors will be required to follow certain rules related to cleanliness, public spaces and the items they sell.
Violations such as illegal encroachments, poor sanitation and the sale of prohibited goods can lead to penalties under the new framework. The law also includes fines for harassment of vendors and the unauthorised transfer of vending certificates.
The registration system is designed to bring street vending into a more organised and regulated framework. Digital certificates could also make it easier for authorities to identify registered vendors and manage vending activities.
For thousands of people who depend on street vending for their livelihoods, the law could provide greater legal recognition and protection while placing clearer responsibilities on them.
The new framework represents an effort to balance the economic needs of street vendors with the need for cleaner, safer and better-managed public spaces across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
