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MALAKAND DIVISION: An Anti-toy weapons rally was held by Hunar Kor a local organisation in Thana today. The purpose of the rally was to aware public on the bad impacts of the toy guns on the minds and behaviours of kids. The rally mainly consisted of small school going kids who held up play cards with slogans against toy guns. Some of the playcards read, “Guns are NOT Toys”, “Toy Guns promote violence in kids”, “We want toys not guns”.
The idea came to the minds of a group of artist, poets, writers, musicians and intellectuals of the area on noticing the increasing display of toy weapons on the toy shops in the previous few years. It alarmed the thinking minds of the locality and they decided to play their part. They started their struggle four years ago. Since then, the members of the group arrange ‘Anti-Toy Weapon Walks’ in different cities around the country on the eve of Eids. Apart from the rallies, they go from shop to shop, school to school in the surrounding villages and talk to public and kids on the issue. They also arranged an art exhibition of kids works against toy weapons.
Fortunately, the struggle has brought about a change beyond expectations. It has even brought the issue to be noticed by the local government administration and now they take actions against the menace while banning the sale of toy guns in many areas of Khyber PukhtunKhwa.
On this occasion, Amjad Shehzad, a poet and singer said, “Toy weapons in this region are much more harmful than other peaceful areas of the world as this area is already struck by terrorism. Thus it’s more important to take quick and solid steps against the evil”. Nangyal Yousafzai, another poet said, “The response of most of the shopkeepers selling toy weapons is that they’re not real guns. They’re just toys spraying water or bubbles. In my opinion, it is more dangerous as it makes “the bad thing” more attractive.” “Apart from having fun with, toys are designed to having specific impact on kids minds and promoting various skills and mental faculties. Can someone tell me what positive change toy guns bring to our kids minds and skills?” stated Faisal Kuhzad, an artist. Aman and Abdal, grade 7th and 5th commented that guns are not toys. They requested the shopkeepers to bring other toys rather than toy-guns, toys that promote positive mental and physical skills of the kids. Ghuncha Kuhzad, grade 2nd, stated that guns are bad and provoke violence in kids. She said we want all the toys other kids in the world have.
THE PASHTUN TIMES
