GWADAR: The 10th three-day Gwadar Book Fair was inaugurated on Thursday in the port city.

Organised by the RCD Council Gwadar, the event has been dedicated to renowned Balochi poet, linguist and compiler of the first Balochi dictionary, Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi.

Prominent social worker Dr Quratulain Bakhteari inaugurated the fair.

Among those who addressed the opening ceremony were Gwadar MPA Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, University of Gwadar Vice Chancellor Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, RCD Council President Haji Abdul Ghani Nawazish, writer Dr. Fatima Hassan, and patron-in-chief Khuda Bakhsh Hashim.

The speakers said that book fairs play a vital role in promoting knowledge, awareness and intellectual development among the youth.

Multiple sessions marked the opening day of the fair. A panel discussion on border trade highlighted its strong economic potential for the Makran region and called for concrete measures to expand trade in order to create job opportunities and reduce poverty.

The Khair Jan Art Academy staged the theatre play “Firaun,” and short films were screened later in the day.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2026