LAHORE - The Information Technology University held its third book fair at Arfa Software Technology Park Tuesday.

Publishers are offering up to 25 percent discount. A good number of students and teachers thronged the book fair organised by the ITU Library Sciences Department as part of its library and learning week.

Addressing the inaugural session, ITU Vice Chancellor Dr Umar Saif said the event was aimed at revival of reading habits among people. He said the university provides booklovers access to 152,000 ebooks through its digital library at Arfa Software Technology Park Campus and more books would be added to the collection soon.

The visitors were also requested to recommend the books to be added to the collection of ITU library. In connection with the library week, Dabistan-e-Iqbal President will hold special sessions on Iqbal’s philosophy today (Wednesday) to be followed by Akhuwat Executive Director Dr Amjad Saqib’s talk on his book “Kamyab Log” on Thursday.

Punjabi critic’s book launched

The late Zamurad Malik was a scholar, critic, poet and teacher of great distinction. He was the first critic who wrote articles on Punjabi contemporary literature.

He was a popular English teacher in Murray College and Islamia College of Sialkot before he came to Lahore in early 70s and brought a new vision into the criticism of Punjabi and Urdu writings.  Fakhar Zaman, a close friend of Professor Zamurad, has edited and published his unpublished work in the form of a book titled “Zamurad Malik – Shakhsiyat aur Takhleeqat”. The book is dedicated to his daughter Qurat ul Ain Malik, who has put in great labour in searching out his works from different magazines.

The book contains his Punjabi poems, a couple of Urdu short stories and essays. Various distinguished writers like; Khalid Hassan, Amin Mughal, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Shahid Malik, Akhtar Mirza, Zamurad Malik’s wife Zareena Zamurad, Professor Ashfaq Sarwar and Fakhar Zaman have written articles on the personality, writings and talent of the great scholar Zamurad Malik . Fakhar Zaman, in his write up about Zamurad Malik, says he was an institution in himself. He was a multi-dimensional personality who was well versed in subjects like philosophy, palmistry, astrology, painting and even tarotology.

Zaman says in his article that Zamurad was an authority on English literature and in his personal views he was liberal, democrat, progressive and secular person. Zamurad left indelible marks on criticism of Punjabi literature because of his fresh vision and avant-garde approach. He died at an early age, but he will always be remembered for his integrity, commitment and caliber, Zaman said.