KOHAT: There was a time when the used items brought to the flea market in Kohat district from Korea, Japan, China, US and Canada were much cheaper, but due to the continuous rise in the price of dollar rates of second-hand items have almost doubled.

“A bundle of used items costing Rs50,000 was now available for Rs100,000 to Rs150,000 in Karachi, Peshawar and Rawalpindi,” Ameer Sahib who owns four shops in the local flea market also famous as ‘kabar’ market in the main bazaar, told this scribe.

But, the people from all walks of life still prefer shoes, garments, especially sweaters and trousers, for their reliability, long life and quality. The foreign wool gives more warmth as compared to local one and every design of leather shoes is available in the market.

Women can also find a wide variety of stitched curtains, bed-sheets, quilts, their covers, sweaters, shirts, mufflers, pants, purses and hand bags.

Ibraheem Khan, who only deals in coats, was disappointed when he first arrived in the bazaar a decade ago, but now he owns three shops -- two for himself and one for his brother.

“Coats of all colours and sizes are available with me, but youngsters are my real customers who choose fashionable items,” he said, adding he had sorted out the coats according to the age groups. He said waist coats were also in great demand.

Bilal from Afghanistan sells shoes on the ground floor of the flea market. “Young people love buying foreign sports shoes and men dress boots of all colours. I have shoes ranging in prices from Rs200 to Rs2,000, depending on their quality and demand,” he stated.

Iftikhar bought a hand-woven centre piece for his drawing room for just Rs800, whose price in Kandhari (Afghanistan), Turkish and locally ranged between Rs7,000 to Rs100,000 depending on the size.

OLD FEUD SETTLED: A jirga on Sunday turned an old enmity, which has claimed nine precious lives, into friendship on Sunday.

The jirga was held at the residence of MPA Malik Amjid Afridi in Azeem Bagh area and was attended by former MPA Pir Sanaullah Shah Banoori, former senator and state minister Abbas Afridi, district councillor Mehtabul Hassan, tehsil nazim Malik Taimoor and president district bar association Javed Panji.

Both the rival parties of Guluno and Malik Daulat Khan embraced each other and pledged to live peacefully in future. It was agreed that if any party violated the agreement it would pay a fine of Rs10 million to the other group.

CANTEENS’ CLOSURE: The parents have demanded lifting ban on operating canteens in the government girls schools in the district as due to the restriction students have to go outside to buy refreshments during the break.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, they pointed out that all the private girls schools had standard canteens mainly run by men, but the government schools had closed canteens without any reason.

They demanded that women canteen operators should be appointed in the schools after security check for convenience of students.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2017