KARACHI: The Umar Khan Library in New Karachi, where people once read and studied, is now just a derelict building. Its books have been moved to another library; its doors and windows have been stolen, and drug addicts occupy its rooms.

The adjoining Umar Khan Dispensary has suffered a similar fate. The library, along with the dispensary, has been lying dysfunctional for years.

Shabana Riffat, the director of libraries in the town, tells Dawn the situation had started deteriorating several years ago when drug addicts began entering the premises and stealing windows, doors and other material. There was no security guard at the library, she said. As the thefts continued, the building became increasingly difficult to maintain.

A UC office also operated from the premises for a period before being shifted elsewhere. Eventually, the library authorities decided to move the books out to Hakeen Ahsan Library, Sector 11-L, New Karachi, as there was little left to protect, she said.

UC 2 Vice Chairman Faizan Qureshi said the problems had also affected the adjoining dispensary. An NGO had moved into the dispensary and took it over when it was already in decline, he said. Its presence created further problems, while the regularity of employees gradually declined and thefts continued. The UC office itself remained in the dispensary and then in the library premises for many years, Mr Qureshi said.

Building’s doors, windows stolen; books moved to another library; drug addicts occupy premises

During that period, UC officials tried to keep the place going. They even spent money from their own pockets on some work, he said. But they could not sustain the facility in the absence of proper institutional support.

Mr Qureshi also pointed out that the library had been under administrative control before the elected local governments and union committees assumed charge. It was therefore the responsibility of the administrator to look after the facility during that period, he said.

The library authorities, meanwhile, say they did not simply abandon the premises. Ms Riffat said several letters had been written to the education department and town representatives for action but to no avail. Now, the responsibility for reconstructing and restoring the facility rests with the local government and town administration, she says.

Ms Riffat pointed out that the problem is not that residents have stopped needing libraries. It is that the libraries themselves have been allowed to disappear.

The condition of Hakeen Ahsan Library, where the books and the Umar Khan Library staff have shifted, is hardly reassuring either. Its building is physically in better condition. But its shelves contain mostly old books. Officials said no new books for general reading had been supplied for several years. A donor had provided some course books, they said. But these were not intended for general reading and did little to address the library’s shortage of books for ordinary users.

Even newspapers have stopped arriving for the past many years. Officials said the library owes newspapers hundreds of thousands of rupees in outstanding payments. As a result, newspaper supplies were discontinued.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2026