Karkhano Market: What to Buy and How to Bargain

Karkhano Market is a large wholesale and retail market in Hayatabad, on the western edge of Peshawar, built around imported goods brought in through Afghan transit trade. It is open daily except Friday, roughly 9 am to 9 pm, and everything is negotiable. It is also a much quieter market than it was a decade ago, so it pays to know what to expect before you go.

This guide covers what Karkhano actually sells now, how to bargain there, timings, and why the market has changed.

What Karkhano is

Karkhano, from a Pashto word for "industries," opened in 1986 as an outlet for goods brought across the Afghan border under transit trade arrangements, and for years it was known across Pakistan as the country's largest "bara market": a place to buy imported electronics, fabric, perfume and household goods at prices well below what shops elsewhere charged, some of it through informal or untaxed channels. It grew into a sprawling complex of dozens of sections and well over a thousand shops.

That reputation is part of why it still draws visitors, including shoppers who travel from other provinces specifically to see it. The market you find today, though, is smaller and quieter than the one that reputation describes.

What has changed

Karkhano's business has declined significantly in recent years, for reasons connected to the wider region rather than the market itself. Tighter control of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, disruption to cross-border trade since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021, and fewer buyers travelling from other provinces have hit shopkeepers hard; some sections report roughly half their shops standing empty. The Torkham crossing west of Peshawar, the main route much of this trade used, has also been largely closed to ordinary traffic since October 2025 amid the wider border conflict, adding to the slowdown.

None of this means Karkhano has closed. It remains a working market with a real range of goods, just not the booming bazaar of its older reputation. Go expecting a big, workaday market with bargains to be found, not a spectacle.

What to buy

Karkhano still covers a wide range of imported and wholesale goods, though the mix has shifted over time towards more conventional retail:

• Electronics and mobile phones, along with accessories and components, sold by traders who deal in volume.
• Perfumes and cosmetics, including well-known international brands at prices lower than mall retailers.
• Fabric, shawls and clothing, including some Central Asian and Afghan textiles.
• Dry fruit and household goods, sold in bulk sections aimed as much at other traders as at individual shoppers.
• General imported items, from kitchenware to tools, that vary shop by shop and change with what is currently coming through.

Because the market's stock depends on what is currently crossing the border, what is available can vary noticeably from one visit to the next. Treat a shopping list as a guide, not a guarantee, and be open to what is actually on the shelves.

How to bargain

Prices at Karkhano are opening offers, not fixed prices, and almost everyone bargains.

1. Get a sense of the price by asking at two or three stalls selling the same item before committing.
2. Start well below what you are willing to pay, and expect to meet in the middle after a few rounds of back and forth.
3. Be willing to walk away. It is the most effective way to test whether a price is final, and shopkeepers will often call you back with a better offer.
4. Check goods carefully before paying, especially electronics, since return policies are informal at best.
5. Carry cash in small denominations. Cards are not reliable across the market.

Trade is generally quieter, and traders more willing to negotiate, early in the morning or after about 5 pm, once the midday heat and crowds have eased.

Getting there

Karkhano sits at the western end of Hayatabad, on the road towards the Khyber Pass, and is the final stop on Peshawar's BRT line, known locally as Zu Peshawar, which makes it an easy and cheap way to reach the market from most of the city. A taxi or rickshaw is the alternative if you are coming from a hotel in Saddar or University Town.

It is a long way from the old city on the opposite side of Peshawar, so plan it as its own outing rather than trying to combine it with a walk through Qissa Khwani on the same trip. Our guide to places to visit in Peshawar sets Karkhano alongside the city's other sights for planning a fuller visit, and our guide to shopping in Peshawar covers the city's other markets.

Is it worth the trip?

Worth it for anyone who enjoys markets for their own sake, or who wants a specific category of goods, electronics or fabric especially, at prices worth the bargaining. It is less worth a special trip if your main interest is Peshawar's history and food, since Karkhano is a long way from the old city and the market itself has thinned out compared with its reputation.

Go with time to browse and bargain rather than a tight schedule, and treat anything specific on your list as a possibility rather than a certainty.

Frequently asked questions