KARACHI, Jan 22: A nearly half-a-century old handicraft shop established by the All Pakistan Women's Association, which was closed down some time back, is expected to reopen at a new location next week.

The shop was closed down after the landlord, an insurance company, raised the rent to such an extent that APWA, could not afford it. APWA also felt that the number of customers had declined owing probably to the parking problems on Abdullah Haroon Road, where the shop was located, in the congested central business area of Sadar.

An APWA representative on Thursday said that the shop would be opened at a shopping centre located between Schon Circle and the old Submarine Chowk next week.

She said APWA had set up the shop nearly half a century back to provide employment to artisans who had migrated from India after Partition. An artisan colony was also set up where these artisans and their families were settled.

The APWA used to get handicrafts prepared by the artisans and sell them at the shop. The shop was run on no-profit-no-loss basis so the artisans received better prices for their goods and the customers could purchase the goods on prices that were lower than those prevailing in the market.

The APWA representative said that over the years some of the artisans had died while others had changed their trade and found employment in other sectors, so at present mostly women family members of those artisans prepared the handicrafts. "The shop is in contact with artisans all over the country and has played an important role in marketing handicrafts", she said.