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Ali Akbar, a 72-year-old Pakistani-born newspaper hawker from Rawalpindi, who became a familiar face and beloved figure in Paris’s chic\u00a0St-Germain-des-Pr\u00e9s quartier for half a century, has recently received France’s highest honour.<\/p>\n
The prestigious\u00a0L\u00e9gion d\u2019Honneur, conferred by French President Emmanuel Macron at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace in the fall, recognises Akbar’s enduring presence and unique contribution to Parisian culture.<\/p>\n
“Perhaps it will help me get my French passport!” said Akbar, who has a residence permit, but his application for French nationality is mired in Gallic bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Akbar, known for his trademark cry of “\u00c7a y est!” or “That\u2019s it!” and a ready smile, has become an indelible part of the city’s fabric, a testament to his resilience and good humour.<\/p>\n
According to the New York Times<\/i>, he is believed to be the last newspaper hawker in France, a profession that has largely faded since its zenith in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Born into poverty in 1953 in Rawalpindi, Akbar left school at the age of 12, worked odd jobs and eventually taught himself to read before embarking on a remarkable journey that led him through Afghanistan, Iran, and Greece until he finally settled in Paris in 1973.<\/p>\n
“By the time I got to Paris I had an overwhelming desire to anchor myself,” Akbar told the NYT<\/i>. “Since I began circling the planet, I hadn\u2019t met many people who didn\u2019t disappoint me. But if you have no hope, you\u2019re dead.”<\/p>\n
His path was driven by a deep desire to provide a better life for his family, particularly his mother.<\/p>\n
“I did not want to wear clothes that reeked of misery,” he said. “I always dreamed of giving my mother a house with a garden.”<\/p>\n
Despite facing numerous challenges, including homelessness, racism, and bureaucracy, Akbar found his calling in 1974, hawking newspapers like Le Monde<\/i> and Les Echos<\/i>.<\/p>\n
He is celebrated for his vibrant personality and witty, often fabricated, headlines that entertain his clientele.<\/p>\n
“Ali is indispensable,” said Jean-Philippe Bouyer, a stylist who has worked for Dior. “Something very positive and rare in our times emanates from him. He kept the soul of a child.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n