By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
PAKISTANI society is full of contradictions. While the book reading and purchasing habit has begun to pick up as has been confirmed by many in the book trade, libraries still lag behind.
The few that exist are now chock-a-block. The reading room in the Rangoonwala Hall in Karachi is open 24/7. Yet the law of supply and demand does not seem to be at work in the expansion of libraries for adults.
Continue reading Children and libraries
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
Hats off to the women who lobbied for the two bills on sexual harassment, and managed last week to move them a step further towards becoming the law. At long last the ruling coalition partners mustered enough courage to take a stand on women’s rights in this matter.
Continue reading Women’s bills revisited
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
THE event organised in Karachi on January 9 by the family of Dr Sarwar to commemorate the legacy of the students’ movement of the 1950s proved to be inspiring beyond all expectations. It was after a long time that people turned up in such large numbers to remember the past. That itself was something remarkable – people are too busy trying to cope with the present. They have no time for anything else, least of all for kal, aaj, kal (yesterday, today, tomorrow). The idea was to create a link between these three phases of our lives, as Rahat Kazmi who hosted the show put it pithily.
Continue reading No education, no democracy
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
THERE is good news about books. The Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association`s fourth international book fair in Karachi in December was quite a crowd puller. The fair has now emerged as a welcome annual feature of life in this cosmopolitan city and the organisers claim that visitors and sales have been on the rise.
What is a more positive development is that the link between publishers/booksellers, libraries and readers is now receiving recognition. Concerted efforts are being made to promote the intellectual activity of reading by giving a boost to publishing and libraries.
Continue reading All about books
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
THE government has, after much thought I presume, decided to erect a monument in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, to honour the memory of the first woman prime minister of Pakistan and the late chairperson of the PPP, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated two years ago.
This move was long overdue as Ms Bhutto merits a tribute irrespective of the political controversy surrounding her.
Continue reading A memorial to Benazir