Ali Akbar, a 72-year-old Pakistani-born newspaper hawker from Rawalpindi, who became a familiar face and beloved figure in Paris’s chic St-Germain-des-Prés quartier for half a century, has recently received France’s highest honour.
The prestigious Légion d’Honneur, conferred by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in the fall, recognises Akbar’s enduring presence and unique contribution to Parisian culture.
“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.
Akbar, known for his trademark cry of “Ça y est!” or “That’s it!” and a ready smile, has become an indelible part of the city’s fabric, a testament to his resilience and good humour.
According to the New York Times, he is believed to be the last newspaper hawker in France, a profession that has largely faded since its zenith in the 1960s.
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.
“By the time I got to Paris I had an overwhelming desire to anchor myself,” Akbar told the NYT. “Since I began circling the planet, I hadn’t met many people who didn’t disappoint me. But if you have no hope, you’re dead.”
His path was driven by a deep desire to provide a better life for his family, particularly his mother.
“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.”
Despite facing numerous challenges, including homelessness, racism, and bureaucracy, Akbar found his calling in 1974, hawking newspapers like Le Monde and Les Echos.
He is celebrated for his vibrant personality and witty, often fabricated, headlines that entertain his clientele.
“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.”