Video shop owners ready to quit business: Militant threat in Mardan
MARDAN, More than two dozen owners of video shops at a market at Punjab Regiment Centre (PRC) here have decided to quit voluntarily their business but asked the government to give them loans on easy terms so that they can start other businesses acceptable to the local Taliban.
President of the audio and video union Abdul Qayyum and other office-bearers, while talking to this correspondent here on Monday, said that unfortunately their shops were situated in such an area, which was the premises of the PRC and was on the hit list of the militants and terrorists, forcing them to quit such business.
It may be added that the video shops market was the property of the PRC which had given it to the locals on rent, however, following two blasts and warning by the Taliban militants to blow up these shops, the owners have announced to quit the business.
Mr Qayyum recalled that on Nov 12, 2007, a blast was occurred in the market, which destroyed a number of video shops including VCRs, computer and CD cassettes worth more than a million but the government did not pay them even a single penny as compensation.
He claimed that the affected shopkeepers borrowed loans from the people on high interest rates and reconstructed their shops.
He maintained that another blast was occurred on May 18, 2008, in which some 13 persons, including five security personnel, and two boys serving at the video shops, lost their lives besides damage to the shops.
The shopkeepers said that they were poor and had no other source of income.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/27/2008
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