ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Khadim-i-Islam Taliban have given an ultimatum to CD and cassette sellers of the Federal capital to close down their business within a month otherwise they would be left with no alternative but to do it by force.

In a letter distributed to CD and cassette sellers in Aabpara Market, Super Market and Jinnah Super Market, they suggested to the shopkeepers to quit this un-Islamic business and switch over to another.

The letter said: “You must remember the doomsday when everybody will be worried about himself and all relatives will desert you.” They said Pakistan had been created in the name of Islam, and added that it was an irony that after the creation of Pakistan the people who came into power beat Europe in promoting obscenity and vulgarity.

They said with the increasing level of poverty, women were encouraged to go out for jobs.

They said some people indulged in the business of selling and renting pornographic films, arousing sentiments of youth which led to increase in the incidents of rape.

Baton-wielding groups of the "Taliban" kept on visiting various markets, creating panic among the shopkeepers.

A shop-keeper in Aabpara Market told Dawn that large groups comprising 40-50 baton-wielding people, some of them with masked faces, continue to visit the market at least twice a day asking sellers of CDs, audio and video cassettes and books to switch over to some other business.

He said the shopkeepers were worried about their security as these groups were not being stopped even by the police deployed at the market.

He said that he had been selling cassettes for the last 30 years and it was no child’s play to switch over to a new business.

He said: "They can only preach if they think something un-Islamic was being done and they cannot impose their ideals by force."

Another CD seller said a group of baton-wielding men said they were ready to discuss the provision of funds with their seniors for starting another business.