A FEW days ago I, with my sister, visited the Quaid-i-Azam Library in Lahore. I was really impressed and fascinated by the peaceful environment and huge collection of books.

On the other hand, I was disappointed to find inadequate safety measures to cope with any emergency. Owing to recent experiences of destruction caused by fire in Karachi and Lahore I looked for fire extinguishers in the library. I was stunned to see they had expired three years back, the expiry date being Oct 15, 2009. If a fire erupts in the library, it can engulf all the valuable books present there and any struggle to cope with it would be in vain.

Second, there were only two exits, one of which was closed, while the other one was insufficient in case of a fire accident. This important building has become a hub of CSS aspirants, as well as of research students.

The authorities concerned should pay attention to the points mentioned above to save our prestigious heritage of books and, above all, the lives of library goers.

AYESHA ASIF         Lahore