TAXILA: A large number of poets, writers, intellectuals and storytellers besides students from schools, colleges and universities gathered at the municipal committee’s lawn in Attock on Monday to participate in the fourth annual book fair organised by the district administration in collaboration with publishers.

Dozens of stalls were arranged by local and national publishers, and books and novels relating to poverty, fiction, Islamic literature, medicine, engineering, technology, and current affairs received an overwhelming response from students, teachers and the general public.

Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza, who inaugurated the fair, said the young generation had stopped reading books in the era of social media.

“This is the last century of the books so absorb the fragrance of the printed books before they disappear.” He said there was a need to bring them back to books so that positive thinking develops in the young generation and thanks to this, they prove to be useful for the country and the nation.

He emphasised the pivotal role of reading in human development and said the involvement of youth in extracurricular activities could definitely help the government in its endeavor to uproot violence from society.

Additional Deputy Commissioner General Aneel Saeed said books were valuable companions that fostered empathy, ingenuity and education in those who read them. He said the district administration should not organise the fair to sell books, but to revive the dying culture of reading among the young generation, especially students, who were considered the future of the country.

Ghazala Alizai, a student of Computer Science Engineering at Comsats University, while talking to this reporter said the book fairs provided an opportunity to the students to purchase books at discounted rates. According to Noorul Ain, a student of University of Education, reading books will help students rely on other resources apart from the internet. She emphasised the need to hold such events on a regular basis.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024