But many Pakistanis vow to fight to keep their guns. Extremist Islamic groups, whose leaders usually speak to large crowds of armed fighters and are usually shadowed by bodyguards wielding Kalashnikovs, have lashed out at the government plan to limit fund-raising for weaponry. We collect funds from the holy cause and display arms only in jihad. Whether for religious crusades, family feuds, or wedding celebrations, the Kalashnikov culture will be hard to uproot. In Sakhakot, an old gun market town 37 miles northeast of the border city of Peshawar, old traditions die hard.
People keep hoarding guns.
I make a small profit, and it's a living. Asked about the people who die as a result, Khan says his responsibility ends when the customer hands over his cash. He blames local police for looking the other way whenever someone is shot. You bribe the cops, and you're free to go. And so the gun culture endures.