BANNU: A couple of old men leaf through newspapers, unbothered as several ceiling fans covered in black dust hang above their heads. The paint on the walls beside large bookcases is scratched in various places, making it obvious the place is at least a hundred years old.
Established in 1905, the Municipal Public Library Bannu, previously known as the Victoria Memorial Library, houses over 5,000 books on current affairs, periodicals and plenty of newspapers.
While most libraries in the country’s rural areas are either poorly equipped, abandoned altogether, or used infrequently, the municipal public library, according to librarian Akbar Ali Shah, has a sprawling building with four rooms.
Its spacious reading hall, he says, frequently attracts readers who say they enjoy a serene environment inside the hall and outside on the lawn during the winter season.
Shah maintains that as the city's population swells, the public's inclination towards education is also increasing, especially after the town faced destruction and devastation due to militancy over the last two decades. Therefore, he says the government should renovate the library to accommodate more books and subsequently, more readers.
In this photograph taken on February 16, 2023, a general view of the Public Library Municipal Committee Bannu building is pictured in Bannu in northwest Pakistan. (AN Photo)
“We request the government to renovate this building in its original shape so that the new generation can benefit from it,” Shah told Arab News this week.
People borrow books here without charge, the librarian shares, adding that it proves particularly useful for students and researchers who have access to its large collection of old publications.
In this photograph taken on February 16, 2023, Akbar Ali Shah, the librarian of the Public Library Municipal Committee Bannu, poses for a photo during an interview with Arab News in Bannu in northwest Pakistan. (AN Photo)
Ghulam Diyaz Sikandri, chairman of the provincial government employees’ coordination council, shared he's been visiting the library since 1977. However, he regretted that the provincial government never bothered to renovate the historical building neither donated more books to it.
“Since 2001, the government has never donated books to this library despite our repeated demands,” he said.
Sikandri went on to say that the government must start extending the building's space so that it encourages more students and people to study books and periodicals of their choice here.
Haji Muhammad Sahib Khan, a 73-year-old resident of Bannu, has been a regular visitor to the library since the 1970s. He agreed that the building needed more space to accommodate more people.
“The building is from the British era and an old one. It would be better if it was upgraded and extended," Khan said. "All people, [including] civilians, students, and educated individuals are benefiting from this library,” he added.
In this photograph taken on February 16, 2023, residents read newspapers at the Public Library Municipal Committee Bannu in Bannu in northwest Pakistan. (AN Photo)
Advocate Sawal Nazir, KP’s caretaker minister for local government and rural development, told Arab News he would help renovate the library and provide more books to it once the library's administration submits a formal request.
“We can’t deny the role of a library in spreading education and awareness,” he said, adding that nowadays the society is getting more inclined towards educating children.
“To build a strong society and nation, every step taken for the promotion of education will be encouraged,” he said.
