KARACHI, Oct 19: It was a round-table discussion on “Writing, Publishing, Selling and Reading Good Books— Problems and Proposals”, hosted by Dr Anwar Dil a book promoter and writer known internationally and Ms Sadia Raashid, president Hamdard Foundation, on Friday evening at a city hotel.

It was generally observed that Pakistan did not lack in the publication of quality books and that there was a thirst for Pakistani publications the world over, particularly in Muslim countries.

Now the question was why books were not much in circulation specially in Pakistan and why books published even in a few hundreds were gathering dust at the bookshops for years. A general apathy among the people, specially the youth, total lack of planning in the book industry, poor literacy rate, declining educational standards and, above all, the apathy of the past and the present governments plus the arrogant and corrupt bureaucracy were the causes enumerated by the participants.

Apart from the hosts, among those who participated in the deliberations included Iftekhar Ahmad Adani, a former bureaucrat known for his Urdu translation of Ghalib’s verses, Jamiluddin Aali, poet columnist and travel writer, Dr Manzoor Ahmed, intellectual and educationist, Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, ex-director Quaid-i-Azam Academy and now associated with Hamdard University, MH Askari, writer and political analyst and Shariful Mujahid, ex-director Quaid-i-Azam Academy and Rahat Saeed, editor Irteqa.

Qaiser Zaidi and Jamshed Mirza, both noted booksellers and publishers represented their trade, while Mirza Ahmad Jameel, who is reputed to have brought about a revolution in the printing industry through computer calligraphy, also participated.

Ms Sadia Rashid and Dr Anwar Dil in the beginning narrated and eulogised the role of Hakim Mohammad Saeed in the promotion of education, literary journalism and literature.

Dr Dil, founder president of the Intercultural Forum, introduced his two worthy publications, one on Ahmad Shah Patras Bokhari and the other on the reputed scientist Dr Raziuddin Siddiqui. The learned Dr is writing another book on Akhtar Hameed Khan. Some of his books on Pakistan are being taught in many universities in the West.

But why not in Pakistan? Mohammad Ali Siddiqui complained the 40 per cent of the population was living below the poverty line with a tough choice between book and bread, and only 3 per cent of the GNP was spent on education, although spending on education was a profitable investment.

Mirza Jameel suggested that low-cost books were the need of the hour, and as for the piracy, “we are all involved in the business”

Qaiser Zaidi of Welcome Book Port suggested that the library system should be streamlined, and incentive should be given to the buyers by holding book melas.

Dr Manzoor Ahmad said that book publishing was an industry which remained disorganised in Pakistan. There was no planning in the choice of publications. He suggested that the publishers should form an advisory board and plan the business according to the needs in the market. As imported text books were very costly, systematic text books should be prepared in the country. He said that liason between the writers and the publishers should be strengthened. Market strategy must be evolved to promote the book and book-culture.

Dr Mujahid, associated with a publishing organisation Mashal, pointed out that there was no distribution network in the publishing industry.

Jamiluddin Aali spoke about his experience regarding publishing in the National Book Council and the Pakistan Writers Guild. He complained of the apathy and hypocrisy of the bureaucracy that, he said, had no respect and regard for writers. He appealed to writers and poets to respect each other.

Hameed Kashmiri, renowned story writer, complained of the closure of bookshops and the raging consumerism in the country. Jamshed Mirza was quite bitter about the indifference of educationist and writers towards books. “I have a book-shop and, with rare exceptions, nobody visits the place,” he said emotionally.

Rahat Saeed was unhappy with the publishers who ignore the new writer. But perhaps the final truth came from Ms Munira Gulzar, principal at Hamdard College who said that children had no interest in books, there was no motivation for them. “They just don’t want to read, not even a daily paper. Their interest lies in textbooks to earn maximum marks in the examinations and get entry into the professional college of their choice”.

The discussion continued during the dinner.—Hasan Abidi