PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday (28th Jan, 2026) made 73-year-old Ali Akbar (the last hawker of Newspapers here), a knight in the national order of merit in recognition of his service to France.
In Pakistan, Ali Akbar started working at the age of 5, polishing shoes and herding buffalos… Due to extreme poverty, he left his country of origin illegally at the age of 18 by boarding a cargo ship. He arrived in France back in 1973 and worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Rouen. In 1980 he started selling Le Monde.
He had been to Pakistan a number of times, by crossing borders in a secretive and illicit way ‘with fear in my stomach’. In 1981, he got married to Aziza (a Muhajir – Pakistani of Indian origin) and found a place in Paris. The same year François Mitterrand became President, and Ali Akbar was regularised. He received Medal of Paris city in 2007.
On 28th of January, 2026 while awarding National Order of Merit to him, President Macron stated: “Dear Ali, thank you for bringing political news to our terraces at the top of your lungs, for warming the hearts of the Flore, the Deux Magots, the Lipp brasserie…You are the accent of the 6th arrondissement. The voice of the French Press,” said Macron.
Newspakistan.tv
M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career forty-five years ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.
