KARACHI, Sept 7: The weekly book bazaar which is held on the lawns on the 19th-century Frere Hall opened on Sunday after a gap of two weeks.

The Sindh government closed the Sunday book bazaar on Aug 24 at the request of the US consul-general. However, the Karachi Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, revived the bazaar. He paid a visit to the Frere Hall on Sunday to ensure whether his directives had been carried out.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Khan said the bazaar had been closed because of some misunderstanding. “The Sunday book bazaar has been greatly instrumental in rekindling the interest of the people in books. Book lovers come here to get their hands on rare and inexpensive books. This book bazaar must never be closed,” he said.

About 40 booksellers set up their stalls on the lawns of the Frere Hall every Sunday. Since the Sunday bazaar is the largest selling spot of second-hand books in the city, thousands of book lovers visit it every week, some with their families.