Get night vision goggles to AK-56 from Peshawar streets

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) If you want to buy an AK-56 or
sophisticated American weapons or other war equipment, you can
get them from the street markets of Peshawar.

From night vision goggles and high-powered binoculars to
various kinds of guns and rifles, all are being sold openly,
according to reports in the Pakistani media.

"The sale of high-tech US weapons in Peshawar is
extremely disturbing to say the least," said a report in 'The
Nation' newspaper, which added that "these weapons falling
into the hands of militants suggest that there is a whole
mafia involved in weapon acquisition and sale, apart from the
looting of NATO convoys" on their way to Afghanistan through
the Khyber Pass.

It observed that despite "a ban on display and sale of
weapons of the sort, the business is going on in the market"
and asked law enforcement agencies to take stern action
against those involved in "the dangerous business".

"It is quite alarming to learn that militant
organisations like the Taliban and various others with their
own terrorist agendas could easily acquire them posing a
serious risk to the security of the country. There are already
reports indicating that a number of modern combat vehicles
like Humvees are in possession of the Taliban," the report
said.

The report came in the backdrop of a threat by the
Taliban to attack Islamabad by sending its fighters "as a
reaction to the operations in Darra Adamkhel and Swat Valley."

The threat came in the form of wall writings appearing in
the Pakistani capital "forcing the Islamabad administration to
whitewash these messages quickly," another prominent daily
'The News' said.

It said several religious scholars in Islamabad also
received warnings from the Taliban saying they had only two
options -- either to support the Taliban or leave the capital.
Otherwise they would be considered "collaborators of the
pro-American Zardari government" which was "not different"
from the erstwhile Musharraf regime. PTI