——Most of the buyers are businessmen, shop owners
The sale of security gadgets in Karachi’s Mansfield Street got momentum following the recent terror attacks across the country, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The market was flooded with the visitors who were found inspecting arms scanners, CCTV cameras and walk-through gates.
Most of the visitors, when interviewed, claimed they owned shops and restaurants in the metropolis.
“I run a shop in Light House, the market is located at MA Jinnah Road, and I came here to purchase CCTV cameras for my shop,” Khalid Shah told Pakistan Today.
“I am purchasing the security gadgets to satisfy customers regarding the security arrangements at my outlet,” he maintained.
Another visitor, who is also running a shop at Denso Hall Market, claimed that he was looking for a CCTV camera to keep an eye on suspicious activities.
“There are a lot of visitors in the market every day and it is nearly impossible to keep an eye on every person. Instead of hiring a security guard, I preferred to buy a CCTV camera,” the visitor said.
A salesman for an arms dealer shop told Pakistan Today that the sale of security gadgets reached its peak following a fresh wave of terrorism in the country.
“The sale of security gadgets reached its peak after the attack on APS in Peshawar in 2014 and attack on Bacha Khan University in 2016, but we are observing 100 percent increase in the sale after the recent terror attacks in almost all parts of the country”, he said.
“Apart from Karachi’s customers, we have a lot of orders from the other cities as well,” the salesman said, adding that “The buyers from Punjab, Sindh and KPK are visiting to get their orders booked.”
The majority of the visitors were seen purchasing scanners and CCTV cameras and when they were questioned about their occupation, they claimed that they were businessmen.
“You can evaluate an increase in the sale by the fact that we are running short of stock and has already ordered for more supply,” the salesman claimed.
One of the reasons behind the increase in demand might be the issuance of security alert by the agencies warning the provincial government that the terrorists could target the markets and eateries in the city.
In a threat alert, the security agencies claimed that the terrorists could target the Sindh High Court, Sindh Assembly, Empress Market, Zainab Market, restaurants at Do Darya and markets located on MA Jinnah Road.
The security agencies requested the provincial government for ensuring stringent security measures to ward off any untoward incident in the metropolis.
This would be the third time in a span of two years, following the Peshawar’s Army Public School and Charsadda’s Bacha Khan University attack, the demand for security tools has tremendously increased.
