PESHAWAR: Less than two weeks after he promised to rebuild the sole public library of Tank district, cricket star Shahid Afridi arrived in the northwestern Pakistani region on Saturday to inaugurate the renovation project.
When images showing the demolished library made the rounds on social media in late August, Afridi told Arab News that he would restore, furnish and supply with books the institution which once was a bustling cultural center of the impoverished region in Khyber Paktunkhwa province.
#LISTEN: "Shahid Afridi foundation will restore the sole public #library of #Tank district," #Pakistan's star cricketer @SAfridiOfficial tells #ArabNewsPk || @SAFoundationN #Education
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Read special by @RehmatMehsuds: https://t.co/bDix03Z27x pic.twitter.com/5f0pYeKo62— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) September 6, 2020
“Libraries are important for girls and boys to study,” the superstar all-rounder said during the inauguration ceremony of the library renovation project.
“Education is essential for the development of any state. If we look into the literacy rate in Pakistan, almost 30 million children are out of school.”
In this photo shared by journalist Ayub Bhittani, the sole library of Tank district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is seen in dilapidated condition on Aug. 17, 2020. (Photo courtesy of Ayub Bhittani via AN)
The library was established in Tank city, the district’s main town, in the early 1970s. In severely dilapidated condition, it has been closed for the past 15 years as the local administration said it had no means to maintain it.
With a population of nearly 400,000, Tank district is one of the poorest regions of Pakistan. It is part of Dera Ismail Khan division and a gateway to South Waziristan tribal district. The region’s development was affected by years of army operations against militants and an influx of internally displaced persons neighboring areas.
The district is facing numerous development problems, including ones as critical as a lack of potable water.
Afridi said his Shahid Afridi Foundation apart from supporting the district’s long-neglected education sector will also work on an inclusive strategy to solve the clean water issue.
Cricket star Shahid Afridi inaugurates the renovation project of Tank district's public library in Tank, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (Photo courtesy: Shahid Afridi Foundation)
He added that he is also planning to establish a cricket academy in Tank, as the region has matchless talent but no facilities to help its youth flourish.
Dr. Tahir Javed, former district health officer of Tank, who during his college years in the 1970s would come to the library with other students for the best books and press, told Arab News that people of the will be indebted to Afridi for rebuilding the once vibrant study center.
“Thousands of students and newspapers readers will benefit from the library. We’re really grateful to Afridi for this initiative.”
