Century-old building in Kharadar transformed into library

A 100-year-old building in Karachi has been transformed into a library. The library has been named after the site’s previous use as a police outpost, which had been in a state of disrepair for many years.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi inaugurated the library on Thursday. Architect Yasmeen Lari, Deputy Commissioner Altaf Sarayo and Assistant Commissioner Muntaha Azhar attended the event.

During the ceremony, the commissioner said Kharadar is a historical and important area of the city. He praised the establishment of the library. He said the library would provide a valuable resource for the residents, especially children and students.

He also said that using the old building for a library and a beautiful small park, complete with trees and plants, is an excellent repurposing of the space. Naqvi encouraged the community to take responsibility for maintaining the library and park. He said the administration, in collaboration with private and relevant organisations, would continue to improve the library, bringing in more books and ensuring proper maintenance.

He announced that the deputy commissioner has set up an oversight committee, led by the assistant commissioner, which includes the locals. He said that this committee would consult with the community to add more books, and provide titles of interest to children and residents regularly.

Architect Yasmeen Lari also spoke at the event, emphasising that Kharadar is one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods. She applauded the effort to establish a library in this century-old building, and expressed her desire to see more positive activities being made available in every street and corner of Kharadar.