RAWALPINDI: After converting the main hall of the only library of Rawalpindi cantonment into a computer section, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has removed the name of the 124-year-old library inscribed on the building.

The building was renovated on the orders of former president Gen Ziaul Haq in 1983. He provided funds amounting to Rs1.8 million and formed a management committee to run the affairs of the library.

Later, former president Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari provided a grant to the library’s management in 1998.

However, the civic body’s administration converted the main hall into a computer section without getting approval from the Lansdowne Trust and has now removed the name of the library from the building.

Main hall converted into computer section without trust’s approval

“Under the law, the purpose of buildings and land reserved for public welfare like a mosque, library, park and ancient buildings cannot be changed,” said a senior official of the civic body.

Another official of the RCB said there was no need for a library as people were not interested in such things.

“So, no book was added in the library for the last two years despite the fact that RCB main offices are also located in the building of the library and it paid monthly rent to Lansdowne Trust,” he said.

When contacted, a member of the trust, Raja Shahid Zafar, said members of the trust had no idea that the library’s hall had been turned into an office and the library’s name removed.

He said a meeting of the trust’s members had not been held for more than six months, adding the civic body should have informed the trust and gotten permission first.

Located on The Mall, Lansdowne Trust Library, commonly known as Cantonment General Library besides Odeon Cinema and Shah Baloot park remained the main attraction of the cantonment since the last 150 years.

Due to unplanned development by cantonment authorities like construction of a facilitation centre, the size of the park has already been reduced.

The cinema is already closed. Last year, representatives of Military Lands and Cantonments asked the civic body to restore the old building of the cinema and make it functional, however, instead of doing this, RCB gave permission to a modern cinema house on Railway Road to use the name of Odeon Cinema.

Sardar Kirpal Singh Rai Bahadar and Sardar Sujan Singh Rai Bahadar founded the Lansdowne Trust in 1891. In 1897, the library, park and cinema were constructed under the trust to provide people entertainment and education.

Affairs of the 124-year-old library are run from the rent, amounting to Rs400,000 received by the trust from RCB as it has established its offices in the building.

After Pakistan’s independence, the library building was used by the British Council however during Gen Zia’s government, the building was set on fire by extremists. Rent amounting to Rs400,000 was being paid to the trust by RCB

There are about 50,000 books in the library: 25,000 in English, 20,000 in Urdu and 5,000 in Persian; some precious scripts in Persian, Urdu and English are included in the collection.

The library staff said after the division of the main reading hall, there was limited space to accommodate books.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2022