Book Fair commenced today at Pu

Lahore: Advisor to Prime Minister on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui has said that there is a deep relationship between knowledge and book and book plays important role in character building and making people good human beings.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of Pakistan’s largest book fair being organized by at Punjab University New Campus here on Thursday.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran, Registrar Prof Dr Amin Ather, Incharge Principal University Law College Dr Shazia Qureshi, senior journalists, doctors, lawyers, students and people from all walks of life were present on the occasion.

Talking to media, Irfan Siddiqui said that book could be used to resolve social problems and amend social disorder. He said if one was doctor or engineer and the one was book lover as well, then the one must be a good doctor or engineer. He said that in this age of technology, such steps must be taken to attract students towards the books. He said that TV channels were prospering in Pakistan but the importance of newspapers was still intact.  He said that he was happy to see the largest book fair in PU and over one hundred thousand books were sold in the last book fair which showed that people were still inclined towards books.

Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said that the only way for Pakistan to come forward was education and book could play important role in promotion of education. He congratulated PU administration on successfully organizing the book fair and said that such steps should be taken continuously to provide books on low prices.

He said that unfortunately Punjab University had been a hub of a political party in the past which destroyed the educational atmosphere on campus but the incumbent government would not let any party to use Punjab University to gain political motives. He said that the government wanted to provide independent atmosphere to students.

He said that PML-N abolished its student wing MSF in 2008 and set an example itself to show that the party did not want such student politics in education institutions. He said that the government would ensure that educational institutions must not become nurseries of political parties. He said that only a few elements consisting of a very few persons were trying to create disturbance at Punjab University while a very large number of male and female students of Punjab University proved today that they had rejected the few elements.

Dr Mujahid Kamran said that the Muslims could regain the lost glory only through knowledge and creation of new knowledge. He said that we must establish strong relation with book because book was the only way of freedom in life. He said that books must be provided on reduced prices to promote reading habits in society.

Dr Shazia Qureshi said that when one enters into a book shop, one did not wish to step out and this was the book fair and she felt that she was in a wonderland. On the first day of book fair, a large number of people thronged book stalls and purchased books of their interest on reasonable rates. Upto 50 percent discount is being provided in the book fair.

The book fair would continue till Saturday April 5.

Meanwhile, Punjab University Oriental College’s faculty members in connection with book fair organized a Mehfil-e- Mushaira at Undergraduate Study Centre’s Al-Raazi Hall. PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Prof Dr Syed Muhammad Akram and Prof Dr Khawaja Muhammad Zikria attended the ceremony while Dr Muhammad Fakhrrul Haq Noori, Dr Moeen Nizami, Dr Muhammad Kamran, Dr Nahid Shahid, Dr Marghoob Hussain Tahir, Dr Zia ul Hassan and others presented their poetry.