NLA mourns SBP chief librarian’s death

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The top leaders of the National Library Association (NLA) have expressed their condolence over the death of Bashir Ahmed Zia, who had served State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for a couple of decades as its chief librarian. 

According to the family sources, Bashir Zia passed away at the CMH in Kharian on January 7. His funeral is scheduled to take place at his native town Tehsil Phalia, Mandi Bahuddin, on January 8. 

Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, President, NLA, who worked with him at the central bank’s library for quite a few years, described his demise as a big loss for the librarians’ community of the country. 

Syed Khalid Mahmood, Advisor, NLA, recalled that the veteran chief librarian had greeted him very enthusiastically and issued him a membership card of the SBP Library right away during his official visit to the central bank’s head office in 2013. 

Anwar Hussain, Secretary, NLA, paid tribute to Bashir Zia, describing him as one of the most efficient and hard-working librarians who was also very knowledgeable and well-informed. 

Bashir Zia held the position of Additional Director & Chief Librarian at SBP since 1999, having previously worked as Assistant Director (Automation & Documentation), Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Ministry of Science & Technology, Islamabad, for 11 years. He also had brief stints as Librarian of the Institute of Blood Transfusion, Health Department, Government of Punjab, Lahore, and as Assistant Librarian at the The British Council, Lahore. 

He had done Masters in Library & Information Science in first division from the University of Punjab, Lahore, in 1986 after having graduated from the Government Degree College, Mandi Bahauddin, in 1982.

Rotary Darakhshan to contribute in promotion of library, reading culture

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) has pledged to contribute its bit in the promotion of library and reading culture in the country as a part of initiatives aimed at improving literacy and creating more employment. 

“Engagement of youth in healthy activities is of paramount importance. We have to facilitate this segment of the society in particular in order to get the best out of them. And there can’t be a more suitable place than a library and a more impacting activity than reading books for them,” Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, RCKD, observed during his speech in the seminar on the subject of ‘Revival of Library Culture in Pakistan’ which was organized by the National Library Association (NLA) during the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) which concluded at the Karachi Expo Centre on January 3. 

Jahangir Moghul, Charter President, RCKD, and a former Governor of Rotary International’s District 3271, added that their club has a history of supporting literary activities and they will continue doing it by different means to achieve the cherished goal of bringing about positive changes in the society.

“As Rotarians our motto is Service Above Self and we are committed to play more proactive role in segments which are of greater significance to the people in general. Urging people to read and facilitating them in letting them read feature prominently in our list of priorities,” he pointed out. 

RCKD, which has supported book launch events besides other such activities, including the one just a few weeks ago, has planned to honour eminent library and literary figures later this month for which a formal announcement is expected after their board meeting around January 10.

KIBF concludes, NLA shines

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

After creating buzz and excitement in the metropolis for the past five days on a trot, the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) came to an end at the Karachi Expo Centre late on the evening of January 3. 

It was quite extraordinary to watch the large turnout every day and evening despite the extremely cold weather from the Karachi standards. 

Some quarters were skeptical about the success of the event because of the phenomenal rise in the positivity rate of the latest wave of COVID-19 but the bookworms appeared least bothered by the fears of pandemic and they went about their business of visiting the fair with tremendous enthusiasm. 

Since the KIBF was being held after a gap of two years, following the cancellation of the event last year due to COVID-19 related issues, there also were some concerns about people having distanced themselves from physical books but, by turning up in huge numbers, all such apprehensions remained just fiction, not facts. 

Long queues of people of all age groups, wearing face masks, as it was compulsory to get in, and the packed parking lots and the packed service roads around the Expo Centre dispelled the impression of the people having lost their love for books. 

As witnessed in the past, it was a very well attended exhibition with maintenance of all possible protocols. The people of Karachi proved the point once more that they remain passionate about education and reading.

While every stakeholder, stallholder and participant had a reason or two to celebrate the successful KIBF, the one body which stood out was the National Library Association (NLA) which not only set up their stall but managed it exceptionally well for five days to catch the imagination of library professionals and many others.

NLA seminar highlights reading benefits

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The seminar organized by the National Library Association (NLA) during the just concluded 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) at the Karachi Expo Centre highlighted the multiple benefits of reading books and the working librarians were urged to facilitate the readers. 

‘Revival of Library Culture in Pakistan’ was the topic of the seminar in which eminent scholars and educationists shared their thoughts and came up with suggestions to do something concrete in this direction instead of just lip servicing. 

The NLA Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, in his twin speeches on the occasion, drew the attention of the audience towards the huge turnout of bookworms on a Sunday morning at the KIBF which itself was a testimonial of people’s continued reliance on printed copies of books for enhancing knowledge by seeking accurate information instead of relying on digital platforms. 

Renowned journalist, poet and author, Mahmood Sham, who presided over the ceremony, informed the audience that, despite all challenges, there were still a large number of people, spread in different parts of the country, who were prepared to travel places for getting hold of books of their taste and choice. 

Prof Dr Farhat Hussain Khan, chairperson of the Library & Information Science department of the University of Karachi, and two of his predecessors, Prof Dr Malahat Kaleem Sherwani and Prof Dr Munira Nasreen, also enlightened the audience with their observations and suggestions. Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, President, NLA, and Anwar Hussain, Secretary, NLA, were lauded for their efforts in promoting library culture. Younis Hashmi, Information Secretary, proposed the vote of thanks after an enlightening one-hour session.

16th KIBF gets underway with a bang

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The long-awaited 16th edition of the Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) finally got underway on December 30 and it was off to a sensational start. Hours before the five-day annual was formally inaugurated in afternoon, there were long queues of school students, mostly dressed in tidy uniforms, who swarmed to access the three halls of the Karachi Expo Centre since 10 am when the gates were opened. 

The KIBF 2021 was already in motion, and in full swing, when the Sindh Education Minister, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, declared it open after presiding over a largely attended inauguration ceremony in which Anwar Maqsood, the famous playwright, was the keynote speaker. 

The National Library Association (NLA) was represented in the KIBF opening ceremony by its President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, and Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, besides a few other senior members. 

Aziz Khalid, President, Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBA), Southern Zone, in his welcome address, recalled the history of the KIBF as to how it was conceived after watching a book fair take place at New Delhi, India, in 2004. He touched upon the modest beginning of the KIBF and its evolution in the following years, incorporating the templates of success stories from book fairs at Frankfurt and London. 

Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, a former provincial senior minister, in his speech on the occasion, described the KIBF as one of the most significant events of the national calendar and he complimented the local publishers and booksellers for ensuring the availability of books at reasonable prices despite the inflation and other uncontrollable factors. 

Anwar Maqsood lived upto his huge reputation of entertaining and simultaneously enlightening the audience with his witty remarks which were generously applauded. As always, he enlivened the proceedings and charmed everyone on the occasion, including the dignitaries occupying the stage. 

Fatema Hassan, a prominent poet, didn’t mince words in stating that the book culture was here to stay despite the arrival of digital gadgets and other sources of recreation. She was of the opinion that the success of the KIBF was a testimonial of the people’s belief in books which were still doing good business. 

Lastly the chief guest, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, committed to take up the matter of slashing taxes on import of paper for the purpose of educational books to the federal government while he also agreed to take action for activating libraries in the schools and colleges, as requested by the PPBA Southern Zone Chairman. 

The vote of thanks was proposed by the KIBF Convener, Waqar Mateen Khan, in which he acknowledged the support of his team members in making the event successful. In the end awards were presented to some of the publishers and booksellers in recognition of their services to the trade.

NLA’s participation adds value to KIBF

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The active participation of the National Library Association (NLA) will add value to the 15th edition of the Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) which is set to be inaugurated at the Karachi Expo Centre on December 30. 

The five-day annual event will conclude on January 3. The office-bearers of the NLA, the leading representative body of working librarians of the country, have been proactively promoting the KIBF, reaching out the masses through their members at various institutions and persuading them to visit the event in order to get hold of the latest books at heavily discounted prices. 

The NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, remained upbeat about the success of the KIBF, which is being organized after a gap of two years because of the pandemic of COVID-19 which rocked the entire world from the early months of last year. 

“The people of Karachi, particularly bookworms, eagerly await the KIBF every year. More visitors than ever before in the 15-year-old history of the KIBF could be expected this time round because this event could not take place last year to COVID-19,” the NLA President remarked in a brief chat with PNFS on December 28. 

He thanked the functionaries of the Pakistan Publishers & Booksellers Association (PPBA) for having renewed their understanding with the NLA for the promotion of the KIBF. The NLA delegation had also included its Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, and Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, which recently met the PPBA Chairman, Southern Zone, Aziz Khalid and the KIBF Convenor, Waqar Mateen Khan.

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari is back!

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, the founder of the Library Promotion Bureau (LPB) and an ex-chairperson, Department of Library Information Science, University of Karachi, is back to his home city of Karachi after having spent the last one year in North America. And he’s back to business once more, without wasting a single moment which has been his hallmark for decades. 

Although his travel plans have had to be altered more than once due to COVID-19 related issues during the past year and a half, the octogenarian scholar has lost none of his mighty enthusiasm and his spirits have not been dampened even a bit. 

He was his usual self at the Record Office of the Library Promotion Bureau (LPB) in Karachi on December 23 where he informally spent time with members and visitors. He was full of energy as he geared up to attend the many ceremonies in his honour which have been lined up for the next couple of months. 

The bureau has had the reputation of coming alive particularly during the period he stayed in Karachi as the library professionals from all over the country converged to seek audience with him and to invite him to their institutions. 

In the past, he had made it a point to spend three months every year in Pakistan while staying abroad for the remaining nine months. This time, however, he has arrived after a gap of more than a year as he had overstayed in Karachi due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Quite remarkably, the LPB, despite the innumerable challenges of the pandemic, continued bringing out its books as well as their quarterly journal.

Rotary Darakhshan honours hat-trick hero Jalaluddin, statistician Shahzad Ali Khan in cricket celebration

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

With cricket fever gripping the entire world on the eve of Boxing Day and New Year, it was in the fitness of things that Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan joined the celebration by honouring two renowned cricket personalities, hat-trick hero Jalaluddin and statistician Shahzad Ali Khan, in a graceful ceremony at the Karachi Club Annexe on December 17. 

 Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler and the highest qualified coach of Pakistan, recalled the moments when he had rewritten the history in September 1982 by registering the first-ever hat-trick in One-day Internationals. 

He informed the select gathering how he was drafted in the playing eleven at the eleventh hour in place of skipper Imran Khan, who had pulled out due to the extreme heat of Hyderabad after arriving from England. 

He also shared, with mixed emotions, the immediate ‘cold-shouldering’ by the officials soon after his world record feat which prompted him to disembark from the team coach abruptly and he hired a rickshaw to quietly rush to his home in North Nazimabad. 

Jalaluddin’s untold stories were as interesting as his talk on importance of statistics and records in cricket which he highlighted the fact that television and digital coverage of the game has made fact and figures even more important than before. 

He lavishly praised Shahzad Ali Khan for having compiled the book ‘Cricket Milestones’ in which his own feat of first-ever hat-trick in One-day Internationals has also been prominently documented. 

He didn’t mince words in stating that compiling or authoring a cricket book demanded special qualities and skills as it was a very challenging pursuit which himself has also gone through lately. 

Cricket statistician Shahzad Ali Khan, in his speech, talked about his passion for the game having started in his childhood and has continued unabated for nearly half a century. He revealed how much pleasure he derives by compiling statistics and records about cricket. 

Past District Governor and Charter President of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan, Jahangir Moghul, in his welcome address, praised both Jalaluddin and Shahzad, for their contributions to the game of cricket and hoped that they will continuing doing so for many more years to come. 

The Club President, Syed Khalid Mahmood, thanked both the cricket experts for squeezing time for Rotary and sharing their experiences with Rotarians, the majority of whom remain cricket followers. He wished them the best of luck in their future endeavours. 

Besides Rotarians, quite a few cricket collectors, writers, statisticians and anchors attended the ceremony thoroughly enjoying every minute of the proceedings. In the end, Jalaluddin and Shahzad Ali Khan were presented shields by the officials of Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan while the Club Secretary, Awais Moghul, proposed vote of thanks.

Mismanagement galore at KW&SB as Karachi bleeds

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The mismanagement at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) seems to have reached its peak as its managing director as well as his favoured officers were looking like engaged in maneuverings for meeting their vested interests rather than performing duties in usual manner. 

Recently the MD and the Officers Association duped the Board’s officers in the name of a so-called DPC with regard to their promotions and as a result all the officers were left with no other option but to be running after their own promotions instead of serving the people of Karachi who are clamoring about non-availability of water while the sewerage system has plunged into a total disarray with sewerage water flowing on many roads and streets. 

It is learnt from knowledgeable sources that many officials were visiting the residences of their retired superiors to have their ACRs written from them in their favour to help get a promotion. 

A false impression was communicated by the MD through a couple directives that DPC is going to be held and hence all the officials should get their ACRs and files completed. 

In order to get their favored officials promoted, by the look of things, the members of HR committee were given a wrong impression about court orders and government directives. The HR committee members, however, have strictly directed them to carry out the formal procedures and rules before holding the DPC as the only criteria for promotion was going to be ACR and seniority. 

The letter containing the directives showed that the procedure to examine the merit for seniority was still to be done and the question of issuing seniority list did not arise unless the reservations of affectees of previous promotions were removed, orders of Supreme Court with regard to PS, OTP and OCP are fully complied with and reversal of those getting illegal promotions to their original grades. 

In order to avoid the procedures, the MD has bargained with the so-called Officers Association and deceived the officers in the name of holding DPC and subsequently granting them promotions. 

Quite a few officers, who are junior in grades but functioning on the posts of Grade-20 as DMDs including two OPS DMDs Aijaz Kazmi and Saqib who are fully with MD alongwith Association’s President Nadeem Kirmani and Secretary Shoaib Tughlaq besides having support of two other DMDs Imran Zaidi and Nasim Khan. All of them enjoying were enjoying the perks and powers of Grade-20 while being in junior grades.

KW&SB Act likely to amended to fulfill World Bank conditions

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindh cabinet is likely to amend Section 4 (1) of the KWSB Act, 1996 for reconstitution of the board to pave way for making the Mayor of Karachi as its Co-Chairman. 

The reconstitution of the board along with the proposed amendment, according to the sources, is being done on the pressure of the World Bank to make it free from political effects. 

It may be mentioned here that presently Najmi Alam, an activist of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), is acting as Co-Chairman of the board. 

The Sindh Government plans to further amend the KWSB Act as per satisfaction of the World Bank in the name of institutional reforms solely to get second tranche of US$ 700 million fund for the KWSB”s Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP). 

As per commitment of cooperation between the World Bank and Government of Sindh, the final draft for amendment in the KWSB Act was ready to be presented, it was disclosed. 

It may be recalled that present Administrator of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Barrister Murtaza Wahab, has on numerous occasions, advocated for the inclusion of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) under the command of Mayor Karachi. 

Meanwhile the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC-1) could not meet owing to non-availability of MD, KW&SB, Asadullah Khan. However, it was learnt, that some other members of the committee did meet to consider the few performas related to promotion of officers and meeting of DPC-1 was postponed for indefinite period. 

The political activist Najmi Alam is said to have maneuvered to remain as co-chairman of KW&SB but failed and instead went forward to create a post of Vice Chairman on which the World Bank expressed its displeasure and called for abolition of this position. 

Since this move was rejected by the World Bank, his efforts through the cabinet could not bear fruit which has now moved for appointing Mayor as Co-Chairman. All backdoor efforts to grab power in the KW&SB affairs proved futile as Sindh Cabinet was not convinced with the proposal. 

It is also learnt that the KW&SB members snubbed the Managing Director for giving the impression that the DPC meeting was called on the directive of HRC whereas in its meeting on December 2, 2021, it has clearly delineated itself from such matters involving litigation and court orders. 

It has been gathered that the HRC meeting notice was cunningly manipulated by the Managing Director KW&SB thorough one Shoaib Tughlaq, attached with HRC, and displeasure was also expressed on this by Kabir Kazi, a senior bureaucrat. The HRC in its meeting, on December 2, is also believed to have emphasized upon the Managing Director to comply with the Supreme Court order for removal of OPC, OOC, OOT postings and promotions as well as ORC action before holding DPC or issuing any seniority list.