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Textbook pirates in Lahore
LAHORE, July 26: City police on Monday arrested "members of a gang involved
in illegally publishing course books", including the novel 'Good Bye Mr Chips'.
Police have also seized printing machines and thousands of pirated books. During
initial interrogation, the accused told about two other presses where they were
printing textbooks. Shahdra Police have registered the First Information Report
(FIR), numbered 884/2007 under sections 420, 484, 485, 486 of the Pakistan Penal
Code (PPC) and sections 66 and 67 of the Copyrights Act on a complaint by Ravi
Town Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Inspector Muhammad Azam. Azam said Qamar
Abbas and Nusrat Hussain from the Punjab Textbook Board and Commission (PTBC)
said the owners of Arif Book Centre and Siraj Book Centre in Urdu Bazaar had set
up a press with the help of a person known as Akif at Bund Road. Azam also
stated in the FIR that Muhammad Imran, a proclaimed offender in a murder case,
was also hiding in the press. After receiving the information, a police team
conducted a raid at the place and arrested Zahid Mehmood operating at the press.
Imran fled.
Police said they seized thousands of pirated books, including 6,300
copies of 'Good Bye Mr Chips', 8,800 class-9 English course books, seven bundles
of science course books, 2,900 class-7 agriculture course books and thousands of
other course books of various classes. Police have also seized printing material
and machines. Police said Mehmood had identified other people involved in
piracy, during initial investigation, following which the Shahdra Investigation
Police raided Nazir Khan Printing Press and the Iqbal Printing Press at Bund
Road. Investigation Officer Muhammad Anwar said the accused were members of a
larger piracy gang involved in illegally publishing books and then selling them
across the country. He said police were investigating the matter and would soon
arrest the whole gang. Urdu Bazaar Traders Union President Khalid said the union
did not help criminals and the "will not support people involved in piracy". Daily times
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