ISLAMABAD - Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Tariq Mehmood Pirzada, in a move what may be dubbed as knowledge antagonism, has ordered to shut down a public library of the federal capital.
His order trespasses all the powers vested with him as they also imply that the library building would be occupied without any allotment orders.
The chief commissioner is hell bent upon taking forcible possession of library building through manipulation of his powers, which is located adjacent to Higher Education Commission (HEC) building in sector H-9.
Cabinet division formally allotted this building to the library in February 2012 but erroneously it was allotted to ICT administration despite the fact the library was already functioning in this building.
Former secretary cabinet division Imtiaz Inayat Ali again allotted the building to the library. On May 21, 2012 Housing and works division revoked the allotment of ICT and allotted the building again to library formally.  A meeting in this regard was held on September 4, 2012 wherein in was decided to disband library and to hand over the building to ICT.  It may be recalled that the government has already nullified the decisions taken by former acting secretary Israr Rauf after July 27, 2012.  
A children library is also functioning under temporary arrangement in this building. The library building was demolished after Lal Masjid operation.
ICT high ups are all set to deprive the citizens of the facility of library to satisfy their ego. Legally this library has been allotted to Islamabad Public Library but Islamabad management is out to occupy library building under so-called orders.
Reacting to the reports on forcible occupation of the building, Pakistan Library Association, students, researches have expressed grave concern.
Commissioner Islamabad had made an abortive attempt to occupy this building on September 10, 2012.
Library was founded in Karachi as central secretariat library in 1949 and it was shifted to Islamabad in 1981.
Benazir Bhutto issued orders for providing it status of public library in 1996. Over 45000 rare books are available in the library and it can be doubtlessly described as national literary heritage.
Library remained deprived of its building since the last 63 years and functioned in a rented building. The shifting of library to several buildings on many occasion led to create dismay and unease among the readers and researchers and it also caused irreparable damage to repository of books. Eventually the library was shifted in government allotted building in 2011 and this way saving to the tune of Rs 3 million annually accrued to national coffers.