F.P. Report
TIMERGARA: The Lower Dir district government in collaboration with the National Book Foundation (NBF) arranged a two day book fair at the Timergara Rest house here on Tuesday that was visited by hundreds of students, teachers and books’ lovers. Deputy Commissioner Atta ur Rehman formally launched the fair during a function which was attended by management of elementary and secondary education department, schools’ heads, teachers, students, social and political activists.
Speaking on the occasion, deputy commissioner Atta ur Rehman, deputy district education officer Muhammad Riaz, assistant commissioner Muhammad Imran and others said the event was aimed to create book friendly society in the district. They said the growing trend of social media had badly affected books’ reading. “Book is the best choice and friend of a man and we must do friendship with books,” the DC said, adding it was only books’ reading that led the nations toward development and progress. He said that though social media and internet had its own importance but it could not replace books’ reading.
The speakers stressed upon students and youth to make books’ reading their hobby instead of using social media and watching TV. They said the district government was committed to provide opportunity to students and grown up people in attracting them to books’ reading. They also asked college and university students to utilize the Timergara archives library for enhancing their knowledge and learning.
Hundreds of students and social activists visited the book fair on its first day. They took keen interest in books and termed it useful for their knowledge. The NBF set up its books’ stall with more than 15000 books on religion, history, politics, science, technology, literature (Urdu and English), culture, tourism, autobiography, course books and media. It also offered 55 per cent discount on purchase of its quality books to the readers. The administration officer also visited stalls of the national Book Foundation and expressed pleasure on its arrangements.
Ibrash Pasha, a social activist told that it was the first book fair in the district which remained successful on the first day. “I spent the whole day at the book fair and I saw more than 2000 visitors there,” Ibrash said, adding the district administration and the NBF deserved to be thanked for arranging such a fruitful event in Lower Dir.
Some of the visitors demanded of the Lower Dir administration to extend working hours of the Timergara Archives library for promoting reading culture.
They also demanded appointment of female staff at the library in order to attract female students of the area toward books’ reading. The deputy commissioner announced that the administration would also encourage arranging such books’ fair at tehsil level in the district.
