ABBOTTABAD: The Abbottabad district administration has extended the working hours and days of the Public Library, known as Maulana Muhammad Ishaque Public Library, to facilitate students, researchers and general readers.
The library, situated at the Jalal Baba Auditorium, will be opened for seven days a week from 9.00am to 7.00pm and up to 4.00pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The extended hours of the library were formally announced by the Deputy Commissioner, Amir Afaq, at a function arranged by the Hazara Abasin Arts Council.
The ceremony was attended by office-bearers and members of the council, researchers, teachers, students, literary figures, radio and stage artistes, conservator, Forests Hazara Division, Arshad Javed, head of the library, Dilshad Khattak, and other government officials.
District Khateeb, Maulana Abdul Wajid, radio presenter, Qazi Muhammad Zubair, coordinator, council’s Women Wing, Mahmooda Chaudhary, secretary, Khalid Waheed Qureshi, former MPA Amna Sardar, research scholar Professor Ghulam Gilani, Riaz Tahir Qureshi and Abdul Waheed Bismal also spoke on the occasion.
The deputy commissioner termed libraries as the primary source of knowledge and said that progress of nations is impossible without knowledge. He praised the council’s role in the promotion of reading, arts and culture.
The official assured that relevant authorities at the provincial level would be approached for digitalising the library.
He announced the renovation of the Jalal Baba Auditorium and Maulana Ishaque Library and equipping them with modern facilities.