'Shelf Life' is a weekly series that explores the reading culture in Mumbai. In part five, Mid-Day visits Mohammed Ali Road’s Naaz Book Depot, known for its collection of multi-lingual Islamic religious texts and once a stop for readers to pick Pakistani newspapers and journals
Naaz Book Depot is popular for its collection of multilingual Quran and other Islamic religious texts. Image credit: Sarasvati T
“After 2019, no one comes to enquire about Pakistani newspapers or magazines,” says Mohammed Asif, owner and manager of Naaz Book Depot at South Mumbai’s Mohammed Ali road. “It is for the better only. There is no ban, but we cannot afford to buy them anymore and there is no demand either,” he reasons. His bookshop had made news after the 2019 Pulwama attack, in the aftermath of which the Indian government hiked the import duty on goods from Pakistan by 200 percent, as per reports.
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