ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: The government is introducing a digital library next year to provide 5,000 journals in addition to 30,000 abstracts of different journals to students, researchers, scientists and universities, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology Prof Attaur Rehman said here on Thursday.

“We are making 500 copies containing complete list of journals out of which ten pack of CDs each will be provided to the vice-chancellors of every university to see if any journal is left out,” he said.

By providing such voluminous information, Pakistan will become the only country in the world to provide a facility that is unavailable even in the US, the advisor said while opening the first database about Biodiversity of Pakistan here at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History.

The Rs11 million project aims at placing 250,000 natural history specimen of animals, plants, rocks, minerals and fossils on internet, which could be accessed throughout the world. The facility will provide complete details of biodiversity in Pakistan, both for scientists and general public.

The advisor to the prime minister said not a penny would be charged from the educational institutions linked to the digital library because the government intended to open up the doors of “our institutions to knowledge and information”.