KARACHI:
An alarming decline of book reading habits is taking place among Pakistani youth, complemented by the deserted state of our libraries. These libraries were once the sanctuaries of knowledge, built to shape a “promising future” for our nation. Today, they stand as haunted, empty halls — shelves gathering dust while our youth gather around TikTok and reels.
The reason is not just technology. Our education system rewards rote learning, not curiosity. A degree no longer requires critical thinking, so students see no value in reading beyond the syllabus. Meanwhile, book prices have risen significantly due to paper costs and taxes, putting them out of reach for middle-class families. If society stops reading, it stops questioning, stops imagining and stops progressing. We are raising a generation that knows viral trends but not their own history, literature or science.
I urge the Ministry of Education and HEC to take 3 steps: One, make library memberships free for all students. Two, add a mandatory “reading hour” in all universities without exams or grading. Three, launch subsidised mobile libraries for low-income areas. Reading must not become a luxury for the elite. A nation that does not value books today will tomorrow be a nation unreadable in history. We must revive our libraries before they become museums of a forgotten culture.
Urfa Rahman
Islamabad
