Karachi Personnel of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Crime Circle seized a large quantity of pirated books during raids on a number of shops in Urdu Bazaar on Friday. FIA Sindh Additional Director Javed Akber Riaz said action was taken on a complaint from Zar Afshan Tabassum, who said there
By Salis bin Perwaiz
November 14, 2015
Karachi Personnel of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Crime Circle seized a large quantity of pirated books during raids on a number of shops in Urdu Bazaar on Friday. FIA Sindh Additional Director Javed Akber Riaz said action was taken on a complaint from Zar Afshan Tabassum, who said there was a rampant piracy of books on which his publishing company owned the copyright in Karachi. He said was working in Pakistan for the spread of learning and education. He said pirated and unauthorised versions of books of the Zar Afshan Publications were being openly stocked and sold on a large scale by booksellers in Cambridge Book Town, Nausheen Centre, Urdu Bazaar and Shakeel Book Supplier. He accused the booksellers of selling pirated editions to customers at their shops and also distributing them to bookshops and schools in Karachi and nearby towns. He said the booksellers were openly offering a 50 percent discount on books, “which is truly impossible”. “Zar Afshan Publications is engaged in the development and printing of books in Pakistan and pay proofreaders, illustrators and designers to finalise the books and then has them printed. “After the books are printed Zar Afshan Publications make a heavy investment in promoting and marketing these books.” The complainant said that as soon as a demand was created for ZAP books, pirates started producing illegal and fake editions and selling them in the open market. He demanded action against those involved. An FIA team conducted a raid on Cambridge Book Town and seized pirated copies of ZAP books and editions. One suspect, Azmat Ali, proprietor of M/s Cambridge Book Town, failed to produce any lawful authority for the possession and distribution of pirated books. He said sold the books to Mohammad Arif of M/s Diamond Booksellers. On reaching that shop, Arif produced 651 pirated editions of Chemistry notes of ZAP, which were lying in a godown in the Jamia Cloth area. The FIA officials took those books into custody and started investigations.
