TIMERGARA: The Lower Dir district government in collaboration with the National Book Foundation (NBF) arranged a two-day book fair at the Timergara Rest House that was visited by hundreds of students, teachers and book lovers on Tuesday, the first day of the event.

Deputy Commissioner Atta ur Rehman launched the fair during a function.

On the occasion, Mr Rehman and other officials said the event was aimed to develop book-reading habit among people. They said the growing trend of social media had affected book-reading.

“Book is the best choice and friend of man and we must befriend with books,” the deputy commissioner said, stressing that book-reading led the nations toward development and progress.

The speakers called upon students and youth to develop book-reading habit. They also asked college and university students to utilise the Timergara archives library for enhancing their knowledge.

The NBF had set up its stall with more than 15,000 books on religion, history, politics, science, technology, literature (Urdu and English), culture, tourism, autobiography, course books and media. It also offered 55 per cent discount on purchase of quality books.

Ibrash Pasha, a social activist, told Dawn that it was the first book fair in the district, which remained successful on the first day. “I spent the whole day at the book fair and saw more than 2,000 visitors there,” he said, adding the district administration and the NBF deserved praise for arranging such a fruitful event in Lower Dir.

Some visitors demanded that the district administration extend working hours of the Timergara Archives Library for promoting book-reading culture.

They also demanded appointment of female staff at the library in order to attract girls students towards book-reading.

PTI CLAIM: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Lower Dir chapter on Tuesday said the upcoming by-election on vacant tehsil and union council seats in the district would be a test case for the party.

Speaking at a news conference, PTI divisional deputy general secretary Ali Shah Mishwani said Sarbiland Khan was the PTI candidate for Samarbagh tehsil council seat. He said opponents were spreading baseless propaganda that the party was facing internal rifts in Dir.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2017