‘International book fair a big answer to enemies of Karachi’

On the second day of the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) on Friday, political leaders, literary personalities and diplomats of different countries visited the exhibition at the Expo Centre, which was packed with a large number of citizens.

Thousands of students from schools, colleges and madrasas were seen buying books. Children's bookstalls were crowded, while women also took interest in books based on domestic issues and ideas.

The management has posted a list of publishers participating in the exhibition with stall numbers outside the three halls of the Expo Centre for the guidance of visitors. A Pakistan Red Crescent Society ambulance is present at the Expo Centre, and law enforcement agencies have been assigned the task to ensure the safety of visitors.

During her visit, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuhu said that the interest in reading books on mobile phones and tablets was increasing in the society, but the pleasure of reading books on hardcopy was not in reading them on computers or mobile phones.

He said the trend of book-reading was coming to an end in our country, but the International Book Fair was playing an important role in increasing the trend of book- reading. She said the fun of reading with a book in hand was not in modern technology.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the International Book Fair was a big answer to the enemies of Karachi. "The prosperity of this city is linked to the prosperity of 220 million people of the country," he added.

He said the colours of Karachi were the colours of whole Pakistan. “We should all raise our hands and pray for the prosperity of this city and restoration of the real Karachi.” Siddiqui said one should not rely on modern technology all the time, as, if for some reason the digital system of the world shut down, then the power system would come to a standstill and we would have to go back to books.

If for some reason, the digital game was over, then only these books would be left, which would provide the people with guidance, he remarked. He said he always participated in the International Book Fair and paid homage to the management that organised such a wonderful book fair every year.

Aziz Khalid, chairman of the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association, Waqar Matin Khan, convener of the fair, Nasir Hussain, deputy convener, Nadeem Mazhar, M. Iqbal Ghaziani, Iqbal Saleh Mohammad, Nadeem Akhtar, Kamran Noorani and Saleem Abdul Hussain were also present on the second day of the five-day Book Fair 2021.