IT is nice to have a grand book fair every year in December in Karachi. I am a regular visitor to this event and feel happy that we still have some passion for reading books.

One thing which provokes me to write is that this year I noticed that schoolchildren were more interested in getting selfies from their cellphones rather than seeing books.

This trend should be discouraged and both parents and teachers have to play their role in this regard.

Schoolchildren should not be allowed to carry their cellphones in a book fair. In case of an emergency, their parents can contact teacher or school administration.

Dr Mehmood Hussain
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2015