Zubeida Mustafa
RECENTLY I received a call from Ali Mohammad Goth (in Jahoo Tehsil, population 40,033) in Awaran, Balochistan. Jahoo Tehsil has only two high schools for girls. Scores of students from one of these schools had demanded books to read. This message was conveyed to me by their headmistress Ms Sabar-un-Nisa, courtesy Shabir Rakhshani, the education activist of Awaran. This made me jump up.
Ever since I started writing about book publishing in Pakistan 40 years ago, I have been told by representatives that Pakistanis do not like to read. This has been confirmed by my own sources. That has conventionally been advanced as the reason for the underdevelopment of the publishing industry. In 2019, a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani, an affiliate of Gallup International, released the report of their survey on reading habits. It claimed that 75 per cent of respondents said they do not read books at all. The 25pc who read included those reading course books, religious litera
Lok Virsa celebrates Quaid Day today
Islamabad
December 24, 2020
Islamabad: National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) will hold a ceremony to celebrate 145th birthday of father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinah on December 24.
Unveiling ceremony of “Quaid’s Vintage Car” will be held in Pakistan Monument Museum by Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, National History and Literary Heritage, Shafaqat Mehmood.
Vintage car entrusted to the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (NIFTH) by family of renowned businessman Seth Eassaji Musaji from Balochistan.
Lok Virsa has scheduled various events including photographic exhibition by National archives of Pakistan and book exhibition by National Library of Pakistan to pay tribute to Quaid-e-Azam, an official said on Wednesday.