DARRA ADAM KHEL, Pakistan: In a town once famous for the rattle of gunfire and the clang of metal in its black-market arms bazaar, another sound is now being heard: the turning of pages.
Nestled among rows of gun shops, the Darra Adam Khel Library has become a quiet haven for learning, attracting schoolchildren, traders, and even gunsmiths.
The project began in 2018 when academic and poet Raj Muhammad, himself from a family of gunsmiths, opened a small reading room above a weapons shop with his personal collection of books. “You could say we planted the library on a pile of weapons,” he recalls with a smile.
Within a year, the single room could no longer hold the growing crowd of readers. With donations from locals, including land gifted by an elder, the library moved to a purpose-built facility. “There was once a time when young men adorned themselves with weapons like jewellery. But men look beautiful with the jewel of knowledge,” says Irfanullah Khan, who donated the land.
Today, its shelves hold thousands of books in Pashto, Urdu, and English — from classic literature and history to civil service exam guides and Islamic texts. On any given day, children in school uniforms pour in after class, while shopkeepers from the gun market slip away from their stalls to browse novels or sip tea as they read.
Women and girls find a way in
In this deeply conservative region, women rarely visit public spaces like libraries. But here, a discreet book delivery service ensures that women and girls can access titles from home or college. The initiative is coordinated by Muhammad’s daughter, Shifa Raj, who believes the project is quietly reshaping opportunities for young women.
A different dream for the young
For children like Manahil Jahangir, 9, and Hareem Saeed, 5, the library is more than a place to read. “My mother’s dream is for me to become a doctor. If I study here, I can make her dream come true,” says Saeed shyly, clutching a book.
Even arms dealers admit they find peace among the shelves. “It’s my hobby, my favourite hobby,” says Muhammad Jahanzeb, 28, who runs a gun stall nearby. “Sometimes I sneak off to read. I always wished we had a library here, and my wish has come true.”
A town with a troubled past
For decades, Darra Adam Khel — perched between Peshawar and Kohat in Pakistan’s tribal belt — was known as a hub of militancy, smuggling, and gunsmithing. Local craftsmen became famous for producing copies of American rifles, AK-47s, and pistols, often by hand. Until 2018, when the region was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, weak governance and tribal codes meant the arms trade thrived unchecked.
Young men often inherited the trade, learning to hammer metal and assemble firearms from their elders. Weapons were seen as symbols of pride and masculinity.
But alongside this reputation, there has always been a thirst for education. The rise of the Darra Adam Khel Library reflects a slow but profound shift — one where knowledge, not firepower, is valued as the real legacy to pass on.
From conflict to knowledge
The library’s annual membership costs less than a dollar, making it accessible to nearly everyone. Already, more than 500 people have signed up, and its reach continues to expand.
“Especially among the younger generation, people are now more interested in education than weapons,” says volunteer librarian Shafiullah Afridi, who carefully manages its 4,000 titles.
In a town long defined by guns, the library offers something revolutionary: hope. It is proof that even in the heart of Pakistan’s most notorious arms market, books can carve out a future built on learning instead of conflict.
