Karachi fair attracts record crowds

KARACHI:

Karachi's love for books and technology was on full display as the Karachi International Book and EdTech Fair 2026 drew a record-breaking crowd on its second day, with more than 200,000 visitors pouring into the Expo Centre in a vibrant celebration of learning and innovation.

Both exhibition halls remained packed throughout the day, as students, families, and enthusiasts from across the city thronged the venue.

Hall No 2 witnessed an extraordinary rush at book stalls, where sales ran into millions of rupees, reflecting a growing appetite for reading material across genres. Meanwhile, Hall No 3 offered a dynamic mix of books and technology, with the "Robothon 3.0" competitions emerging as a major crowd-puller.

According to Robo Sports in-charge Behroze Noorani, around 15,000 students participated in the competition, many creating their first-ever robots. "For these students, it's not just a contest - it's an exciting introduction to innovation," he said.

The highlight of the day was the KBITF Awards ceremony, where prominent figures in education and publishing were recognised for their contributions. Sindh's Minister for Information Technology, Ali Rashed, presented the awards to distinguished recipients.

Lifetime Achievement honours in publishing were awarded to Chairman of Urdu Academy Sindh Aziz Khalid, and Chairperson of Lightstone Publishing Ameena Saiyid.