Karachi - Administrator Karachi Iftikhar Ali Shallwani on Saturday expressed displeasure over closure of a library at Frere Hall and directed concerned officials to ensure reopening of the library and provision of facilities including proper seating facilites to readers immediately. The Administrator passed these directives during his urgent vist to Frere Hall. He directed that proper seating arrangement including tables and chairs should be provided to the readers at the library. Senior Director Coordination Masood Alam, Senior Director Culture and Sports Syed Khursheed Shah, Director General Parks Afaq Mirza, Director Culture Shams Masoodi and other officials were also present on the occasion. “Libraries are keys to knowledge and our history is saved in the books kept in it. It is very sad to see the library in very pathetic condition, the books were littering with dust and the library was closed down for the readers,” the Administrator said. He director Sports and Culture Director to save this asset from being destroyed and open the library for general public forthwith. Shallwani also checked the books and asked the concerned authorities to carry out fumigation to save the books from insects.
The Administrator was informed that more than 50,000 books including the ones are 150 years old are kept in the library while newspapers from 1955 have also been kept in original position there. He was also told that the library was one of the oldest and biggest libraries and many readers including students used to visit it as it is situated at main point of the city.
The Administrator was of the view that they wanted to promote Book Culture in the city and were going to uplift libraries of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He said that the nations that didn’t love books were left behind in the world as the books were only way to get knowledge. Shallwani also visited Sadiqen Gallery of Frere Hall and directed that its building should be restored into its original position. “Proper arrangements should be made for photo exhibition,” he said while directing to remove the changes brought earlier.