In most cities of Pakistan, public libraries remain either locked, empty, or turned into bureaucratic storage spaces. The silence that once meant focus now means abandonment. The Punjab Public Library in Lahore struggles with broken catalogues; Karachi’s Liaquat Library faces staff shortages; small-town libraries are vanishing altogether.
A nation that stops reading tends to stop thinking. Yet, we continue to treat libraries as relics of the past rather than necessities. In an age where misinformation floods our screens, libraries could have been our defence as spaces of truth, curiosity and community learning. Instead, they are being left to gather dust, while funding flows elsewhere.
Private book cafés and online reading clubs show that the thirst for books still exists. What is missing is state res-
ponsibility. Why can every district not have at least one modern public library, with Wi-Fi, community events and children’s reading corners? It would cost less than a few new billboards in praise of governments and their functionaries.
Public libraries are not outdated. They are the most democratic classrooms we have as they are open to everyone, regardless of age or income. Saving them is not charity; it is nation-building.
If we want a literate Pakistan, we must start by unlocking the doors we have already built. This is the only way forward.
AFIFA SHAHID
LAHORE
