KARACHI, July 15: Police beat up sellers of second-hand books at Regal Chowk, Saddar, on Sunday. Several booksellers were also picked up, but were later let off after they paid illegal gratification to police.

Sellers of old books have shifted to Regal Chowk when Frere Hall garden was closed to the public after the bomb blast outside the US consulate on June 14. So for the past four weeks booksellers are trying to hold the weekly second-hand books’ bazaar at Regal Chowk, but every Sunday they are being harassed by police. Police beat booksellers in order to force them to remove their stalls, and they also pick them up and take away their books in their mobiles, booksellers say. They are released after they pay illegal gratification to police.

This has been happening on every Sunday. Book lovers visit Regal Chowk on Sunday in the hope of getting books at affordable prices, but they have to return disappointed as police do not let booksellers to set up stalls on pavements.

“We fail to comprehend the attitude of police. We set up our stalls on Sundays when the Saddar area remains deserted. This way we do not create any problem for either pedestrians, shopkeepers or motorists, but police beat us and take away our books. On the other hand, on all week days, including Sunday, a lot of hawkers can be seen occupying pavements all over the place. Of course, this goes on with the patronage of police.

“But we have our stalls on Sundays only on pavements which even on week days are not busy. We sit at a corner where we do not disturb anyone or create public nuisance. Since we sell books, our customers are educated people, and can vouch for our behaviour. Yet the administration is doing nothing to stop police from harassing us poor people,” the booksellers say.

“Solid new books, which are mostly imported, have gone beyond the reach of the common man because of their high prices. And police do not allow second-hand book stalls. Libraries are so few that they cannot cater to the needs of all. What a tragic situation we are faced with.

The government, though, has been making tall claims about increasing literacy, and they have set up several committees for the purpose. The situation on the ground, however, tells an entirely different story. This brings to mind only one question: are we anti-knowledge?” several book lovers, who came to Regal Chowk this Sunday and returned disappointed, said.

Knowledgeable sources, however, said police were also under pressure from a member of the Governor’s Inspection Team to act against the booksellers. He had written several times to the governor or the concerned official that booksellers had occupied footpaths in Saddar with the connivance of police. In such a situation police had to unwillingly act against booksellers, the sources maintained.—SG