CD businesses shut down in Karkhano Market
* Most market owners asking shopkeepers to wind up CD business owing to fears of bomb blasts
PESHAWAR: Most of the shopkeepers, previously dealing in CDs, have switched over to other businesses while some of the Afghan businessmen have migrated to Afghanistan, shopkeepers in the Karkhano Market told Daily Tunes on Sunday.
Fearing attacks from radicals, the committee of the National Market closed at least 11 CD shops on Saturday after they received letters from militants, who threatened to ‘punish’ those who are doing the ‘un-Islamic’ business.
Owner of the market Haji Tariq confirmed to Daily Times that the threatening letters had been dropped at some markets, but his market had not received any such letter. “However, 1 asked the CD shopkeepers to wind up heir business on Saturday as the business is un-Islamic,” Tariq added.
Saeed Khan, a shopkeeper who now sells Islamic and jihadi CDs, said most people had stopped dealing in CDs. He said around 150 shops and cabins dealing in CDs were closed after threatening letters were received.
“A bomb blast that damaged nearly 14 shops on November 2 scared the traders and people started adopting other businesses. Now there are hardly 15-20 CD shops which remain closed most of the time,” he said. “Now we have started selling Islamic CDs and some people buy them,” he said while pointing to the shelves where CDs and audiocassettes about ‘jihad’ in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir and CDs were placed.
Another shopkeeper, Rahim Khan, said that the November 2 explosion took place in a public call office (PCO) next to his shop and also damaged his shop. “I suffered losses worth around Rs.40,000,” he added. He has now switched over to cosmetics business and said now market owners were not allowing CDs business owing to fears of bomb blast.
The CD shops located in a long narrow alley along the Jamrud Road now full of cosmetics, electronics goods steroids, clothes and other things but not a single shop is dealing in CDs business except a few who sell jihadi CDs.
Karkhano Market is located between Peshawar city and Jamrud tehsil of Khyner Agency. The market is the largest of its kind in Pakistan, where smuggled goods, porn movies and medicines containing steroids are also sold at cheaper rates. A bomb blast on November 2 at the junction of Shinwari and SS Markets damaged several shops.
Also in the current month, two net cafes were bombed in the city, prompting many net cafe owners to pack up.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/26/2007
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