January 25, 2003	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 21, 1423

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MANSEHRA, Jan 24: The video shop owners of Mansehra town on Friday marched to the office of the SSP protesting the crackdown on the business as part of the anti-obscenity drive launched by the MMA government across the province.

The representatives of the video shop owners met the SSP and lodged their protest against the attitude of the local police officials.

They told the SSP that they paid Rs5,000 as registration and Rs2,000 as renewal fee for a year to the excise and taxation department, besides Rs300 a year to the tehsil administration.

They said that they were not involved in selling obscene material, but the police officials were harassing them without any reason.

They complained that the police officials took the TV and VCR sets and cassettes from their shops during raids and released the same after imposing heavy fines. They said, at present more than 250 persons are engaged in the video business in Mansehra town. They said that most of them had started the business with loans taken from the banks and financial institutions or from their relatives.

They maintained that they should be provided alternative jobs for earning their livelihood, if the government had resolved to put an end to the video business.

The SSP, Syed Ahsan Mahboob, assured the affectees of help and redressing their genuine grievances.

However, he warned that anyone found dealing in immoral or obscene movies would be taken to task.