Karachi International Book Fair: Indians miss out on launch of fair

Visas were denied initially but the problem has been 'resolved.'

KARACHI: The sixth Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) 2010 was launched at the Expo Centre, Karachi on Friday. Publishers and booksellers from several countries, including India, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, took part in the event. However, some of the Indian publishers were unable to make it in time for the first day because they did not get their visas in time.

The Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBA) has organised the KIBF 2010 in collaboration with the National Book Foundation of the federal education ministry. The fair will go on till December 28. Around 250 stalls have been put up in the halls of the expo centre.

An organiser and the Urdu Academy’s Sindh managing director Aziz Khalid told The Express Tribune that he had protested against the government for refusing to grant visas to the Indian publishers. His dissent prompted the Muttahidda Qaumi Movement legislator Syed Sardar Ahmed and Federal Home Minister Rehman Malik to intervene and resolve the issue.

“Refusing visa to our friends was not in favour of the country because it had sent a negative message across the world,” he said.

Out of the 18 Indian publishers on board, four have arrived and opened two stalls. The others were delayed because their visa was not being sanctioned but the problem has been resolved now and the Indians will join the fair within two or three days, The Express Tribune learnt. The remaining stalls will then be opened after all the booksellers reach.

In reply to another question, Khalid said that Malaysian publishers have sent their books but have not come themselves so their merchandise could not be displayed.

Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazhar ul Haq was the chief guest at the ceremony while Sindh provincial assembly speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro was the guest of honour.

Haq said that such fairs and exhibitions should be extended to rural areas so that the people there could also get access to a better source of knowledge.

While appreciating publishers, the senior minister said that book publishing was not a high-profit yielding business but it was still flourishing. Reading was his oldest hobby and he never goes to bed without reading a book, Haq told the participants at the fair.

He said that in order to create awareness, he would make efforts with the help of publishers and booksellers for an exhibition in Sukkur within a few months.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2010.