Photo: Social media
Karachi: The 18th International Book Fair was inaugurated at Expo Center Karachi under Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association and opened to the public.
The book fair will continue for five days in which 330 book stalls have been set up. The festival saw a rush of people from the first day. The book fair was inaugurated by caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Justice (Rtd) Maqbool Baqir.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Caretaker Chief Minister Sindh Justice (Rtd) Maqbool Baqir said that the importance of books is key for the development and progress of a society. He said that it is a pleasure to see how the children are reading books while standing here at the stall.
He assured the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association that he would discuss with the federal government the duty levied on imported paper and books.
Talking to the media, the caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh said that the Chairman of the Sindh Textbook Board was removed for improvement, that the matter of transferring the universities from the Chief Minister of Sindh to the Governor of Sindh is legal. Can’t be done.
Chairman Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association President Aziz Khalid said that along with the increase in the value of the dollar in Pakistan, excessive duty has been imposed on paper and books in the new import policy, local manufacturers are not able to meet the demand for paper. Due to which the textbooks of private publishers have become very expensive, while the buyer of literary books is no longer there because these books have also become expensive. He demanded the Sindh Chief Minister to talk to the federal government in this regard and play his role.
Chairman Aziz Khalid further said that this fair is organized to promote book culture and library culture in Pakistan. He said that private schools have played an important role in the promotion of book culture, private schools have established libraries and book corners in their institutions, they are playing their role in the promotion of book literacy among students. Aziz Khalid said that we have invited great and good writers here to appreciate the efforts they have made.
MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari said in his speech that the problem of our distance from books is that 95 percent of the literate people are those who have read only textbooks, we have a ban on discussion and debate here. He criticized those who called the Taliban government established in Afghanistan as an idol and said that the value of their currency should be improved. If we do it and exclude them from different walks of life, maybe our currency will increase in value and our expenses will also decrease.
On this occasion, the convener of the book fair, Waqar Mateen, thanked the guests, while the well-known writer and former head of the Urdu Dictionary Board, Aqeel Abbas Jafari and the well-known poet of Urdu literature, Dr. Hilal Naqvi, the former head of Oxford Publishers, Amina Syed, religious scholar Aleem Qureshi. Awarded to
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