Originally posted by antimony
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Pakistan’s Arms Bazaar
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Originally posted by xinhui View Postthanks, that was so cool. (and so sad)
Especially the way they were making the ammo.
Therefore I would think that these guns may not be very useful in actual combat. Of course, they may still be (and probably are) fancy collector's items in that region
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Here is an awesome video, created by Suroosh Alvi, a Pakistani-Canadian journalist (co-founder of Vice Magazine) on the arms bazaar of Darra Adam Khel
YouTube - Vice Guide to Travel - The Gun Markets of Pakistan
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Pakistan’s Arms Bazaar
The market at work, me like.
Pakistan’s Arms Bazaar - IslamOnline.net - News
Pakistan’s Arms Bazaar
By Aamir Latif, IOL Correspondent
Darra locals are able to manufacture exact replicas of any kind of gun in the world.
PESHAWAR — Darra Adamkhel, a small, dusty town that consists of one main street with some alleys all lined with shops and workshops, is one of the most famous and unique bazaars in Pakistan and its restive tribal belt.
It is the place where anyone can buy weapons made by the local population who are able to manufacture exact replicas of any kind of gun in the world.
"We can copy any kind of arms, even a rocket launcher," Gulrez Khan, an arms dealer in the town, told IslamOnline.net.
Darra Adamkhel, only half-hour drive from Peshawar , the capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is virtually the arms factory of the tribal areas.
The town is also the hub of illegal shipments of weapons throughout the country and one of the biggest private arms' markets in Asia .
Any kind of light weapons from pistols to rifles and mimics of Russian-made Kalashnikovs and other weaponry are on sale.
Until five years ago, the Darra manufacturers also used to make mines, and multi-barrel rocket launchers.
The government, however, stopped them from manufacturing heavy arms, but local sources say that some of these arms like rocket launchers are still being made and supplied for special clients.
According to local sources, some 2000 families are involved in the arms manufacturing business in Darra Adamkhel.
All members of a household give a helping hand in the business and the skills of weaponry craftsmen are passed down from one generation to another.
According to laws in the federally-administered tribal areas (FATA), no license is required for procurement or carrying weapons within the 700-kilometer long tribal belt touching south and northeastern Afghanistan .
Shopping Spree
But Darra Adamkhel has seen an unprecedented heyday recently, as the volatile tribal belt turned deadlier.
"Procurement of arms by both Taliban and tribesmen has boomed the industry of Darra," Khan, the arms dealer, told IOL.
"We have acquired additional labor force to cope with the growing demand. They work till late hours to meet up the procurement orders."
According to dealers and buyers, an Ak-47 rifle, which was available at merely Rs 20,000 ($225), is now being sold at Rs 125,000 ($1500).
The prices of different kind of pistols have gone up to Rs 50,000 ($625) from Rs 10,000 ($125).
The price of Kalashnikovs is soaring as militant groups mushroom in an increasingly battle-torn tribal belt, where the military is currently engaged in an offensive against Taliban.
Civilians too, frightened by the upsurge in violence and a perceived lack of government protection, are arming themselves for protection.
Subhan Ali, a local fruit merchant, is one of those who sought Darra Adamkhel to add yet another weapon to his small home arsenal.
After a brief bargain, he paid Rs 125,000 ($1500) for a Kalashnikov.
"I already have a rifle and a pistol at home, but now we need more," Ali told IOL.
"Things are getting worse with every passing day."
The government has been reportedly funding anti-Taliban tribesmen to set up peace committees and procure arms in various tribal areas.
The committees have gained ground in ***** and Dir, the adjoining districts of restive Swat.
However, the fear of Taliban’s return continues to haunt many people.
"Keeping arms is our tribal tradition, whether there is peace or war. But in these days, weapons have become a must for us," maintains Ali, a 43-year ethnic Pushtun, with newly bought rifle clinging to his shoulder.
"We cannot wander unarmed in these days. You never know who, when and where you can be attacked."Tags: None
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