KARACHI, Sept 19: The National Book Foundation has published around 4,000 titles over the past 31 years.

In 1972, the NBF was established through an act of parliament (Act XIX of 1972) with the objective of making books available to the public, in general, and students, in particular.

Headquartered in Islamabad, the NBF has poet Ahmad Faraz as its managing director. While NBF books are generally inexpensive, textbooks for students are available at exceptionally reduced prices.

The resident director of the NBF in Karachi, Mohammad Yaqoob, told Dawn on Friday that not all titles were available all the time. “The NBF operates like a professional organization. Those titles which are in demand are published again and again. But those titles which become shop-soiled at bookstores are not published again.”

The NBF also publishes books on a one-time basis. The titles thus published are not produced again unless there is an enormous demand for them. It is a pity that at present all the 15 NBF publications on Amir Khusrau are out of print. The publications include at least two books by Amir Khusrau himself in addition to works by other scholars on him and on his poetry.

Mr Yaqoob said the NBF was tasked to arrange the original publication of local books and reproduction of those published abroad. He said permission for reproduction of books, mostly technical ones, published abroad were obtained first. He added that lately the NBF had been focussing on the publication of technical books for students.

The NBF has published 650 general books in addition to over 1,900 reprinted books. It has also published 626 school textbooks and 424 children’s books. It has published 196 books originally brought out by Darul Musanfeen, including Seeratun Nabi (seven volumes) and Maqalaat-i-Shibli (eight volumes). The NBF has also published 196 books, including the Quran and Bang-i-Dara, in Braille.

When asked why NBF books were not readily available at bookstores, the NBF resident director said books were sent out to all the registered agents who purchased books from the NBF on credit. He added that there were quite a few NBF registered agents in Urdu bazaar, where students mostly went to buy textbooks. He said that sometimes books were not properly displayed at bookstores.

Mr Yaqoob said the NBF ran a readers’ club whose members were allowed to purchase books at a 50 per cent discount. “The members have to pay Rs100 a year, and they become entitled to a 50 per cent on purchase of NBF books. At present, the NBF has over 500 members in the readers’ club.”

Mr Yaqoob said that at present the members of the readers’ club could purchase books worth up to Rs2,000. He added that soon this amount would be raised to Rs3,000.

The NBF resident director said his organization had also published books for the National Institute of Science and Technology. He added that the NBF had published 97 NISTE textbooks for students of diploma of associate engineering and 27 lab manuals.