Railways annual sports gala kickoff at Lahore on June 4

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Shoaib Adil, General Manager of Railways’ Welfare and Special Initiatives and President Pakistan Railways Sports Board, has described sports as world’s most powerful moral and social power whose utility and importance has always been in every era since the ancient eras. 

He made these observations on the eve of Railways annual sports gala which start from June 4 at the Railways Sports Complex located in Lahore’s Garhi Shahu. He pointed out that while food, work and comfort were the necessities of life, sports were like a pillar which guaranteed the strength and stability of life.

“In every part of the world, people of all ages, gender and all status of life have been participating in sports whether collectively or individually,” he stressed. 

Shoaib Adil observed that in today’s era, while mobile phone or the smartphone was the source of wide relations and acquisition of knowledge, it had affected the human health as well and it’s imperative to divert the energies towards healthy activities overcoming the unnecessary utilization of cellular phones. 

The sports, he viewed, while serve as mean of providing peace, comfort and delight on one hand, these refresh the human mind on the other.

“In the field of sports, people make their practical lives successful and in view of this they have introduced 12 new sports academies in its Sports Complex where any person of any gender or age can take admission and make their living happy and healthy,” he said.

Dignitaries laud NLA President’s efforts

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The President of the National Library Association (NLA), Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, was lavishly praised by the dignitaries in their speeches during the World Book & Copyright Day event held at the Junagadh Lawn on May 21. 

Prof Farhat Hussain Khan, Chairperson, Library & Information Science department, University of Karachi, Syed Khalid Mahmood, Advisor, NLA, Ijaz Hamdani, President, Sindh College Librarians Association, and Aftab Farooqui, Founder, Citizen Library Liaison Association, were among the speakers in the ceremony. 

All the worthy speakers applauded the efforts of President Muzaffar Ali Shah for making the NLA one of the most efficient entities which was organizing events after events for the benefit of the librarians’ community. 

The NLA Advisor, in particular, highlighted the strenuous endeavours of the President who was braving all odds to accomplish his cherished goals. 

“Let’s salute him for his continued efforts despite facing enormous challenges at every step. His resilience needs to be complimented. He has been leading the NLA by example and he deserves to be recognized for his selflessness and awesome work ethics,” Khalid Mahmood reckoned.

NLA on the move, globally

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) has continued making strides during the past year and their key officials could be seen on the move trying to make things happen for their community of librarians. 

The NLA President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, and its Secretary, Anwar Hussain, had a detailed session on May 12 with the Association’s Information Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, who is working as the Chief Librarian at the Sindh High Court in Karachi. 

The NLA officials discussed the plans to organize more activities in the coming months and their subsequent coverage in the conventional and social media. They assessed the possibilities of broadcasting their events live on Facebook in future to enhance their outreach. 

Meanwhile the Association’s Overseas Coordinator, Younis Hashmi, has reached Canada where, upon arrival at the Pearson International Airport, Toronto, he was warmly received by the engineers of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Irfan Bablani and Irfan Riaz, both of whom had debuted in Karachi. 

It may be recalled that Younis Hashmi had worked as librarian at the PIA Head Office in Karachi for as many as 42 years before his retirement. Since then he has relocated in Canada.

He has had a telephonic discussion with the NLA President on May 12 in which the matters relating to the Association’s working in North America and other countries were deliberated at length.

NLA, KPC and Rotary Darakhshan join hands to hold Women’s Day seminar

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A seminar ‘Role of Libraries in Women Empowerment’ is being organized by Literary Committee of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) with the collaboration of National Library Association (NLA) and Rotary Club of Karachi Darakhshan (RCKD) at the KPC Auditorium on March 26. 

Syeda Shehla Raza, Deputy Speaker, Sindh Assembly, will be the keynote speaker while the seminar will also be addressed by Munazza Abidi, Senior Vice President, NLA, Farheen Mahmood, Vice President, NLA, Asma Hassan, motivational speaker and author, Dr Aftab Imam, District Governor, Rotary International, and Jahangir Moghul, Charter President, RCKD. 

The session, to be held from 3 to 5 pm, will be moderated by A H Khanzada, former Secretary, currently heading the KPC’s Literary Committee, and he will be assisted by Syed Khalid Mahmood, Advisor, NLA, and President, RCKD. 

The seminar is being held as a part of the International Women’s Day celebrations to highlight the significance of libraries for the women folks in particular.

NLA’s office-bearers meet on Pakistan Day

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The office-bearers of the National Library Association (NLA) held a meeting in Karachi on the Pakistan Day (March 23) to discuss matters relating to their ongoing and future projects. 

The meeting was presided over by the NLA Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, and attended by Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah (President), Munazza Abidi (Senior Vice President), Farheen Mahmood (Vice President), Anwar Hussain (Secretary General), Hira Yaseen (Joint Secretary) and Muhammad Ibrahim (Information Secretary). 

“The basic purpose of the meeting was to review the reports of our previous programmes besides deliberating on the events to be organized in near future. Such brainstorming sessions are a part and parcel of our strategic plan as we move forward to accomplishing our cherished goals,” the NLA President remarked.

NLA, KU to organize seminar on books

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) and the University of Karachi’s Library & Information Science department will be organizing a seminar titled ‘Books are Forever’ next month, it was decided in their joint meeting held at the campus on January 17. 

The NLA was represented in the meeting by its Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, Treasurer, Nasir Nayab, Joint Secretary, Hira Yaseen, and Munazza Abidi, Member, Executive Committee, while the university’s Library & Information Science department contingent comprised of its chairperson, Prof Dr Farhat Hussain Khan and the faculty members Dr Rafat Parveen Siddiqui (Assistant Professor), Dr Naveed-e-Sahar (Assistant Professor), Dr Waseem Zia (Assistant Professor) and Rashid Ali (Lecturer). 

It was mutually agreed that the seminar will either be held on February 17 or February 22, depending on the availability of the university’s auditorium which possessed a seating capacity for more than 400 persons. 

The session, presided over jointly by Syed Khalid Mahmood and Prof Dr Farhat Hussain, noted that it was the right time to start engaging the departmental students into such gripping activities as the new semester had just started and the fever of the Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) was still on. 

The NLA office-bearers as well as the KU faculty firmly shared the vision that books held great future, irrespective of the medium or the format it may be read with. 

“E-books in digital format are being read and followed as passionately as the conventional books in print form these days. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the books are here to stay, braving all challenges and silencing all critics or rumours,” they asserted. 

The teachers of the Karachi University’s Library & Information Science department were well and truly satisfied with the motivation level of their students. 

“They enter here to learn and we provide them an environment where passion for books could grow. As a result all of them develop the tendencies and skills which come handy in their professional life,” the learned teachers remarked. 

The university’s Library & Information Science department seems heading towards further glories under the leadership of their new chairperson, Prof Dr Farhat Hussain, who has had a record of doing things on fast track.

NLA celebrates KIBF success

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) celebrated the grand success of its participation in the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) which was staged by the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBA) at the Karachi Expo Centre from December 30 to January 3. 

The Executive Committee of the NLA met in Karachi on January 8 in which, besides discussing the successful participation in the recently held KIBF, deliberated on projects planned to be organized during the current year. 

The NLA Advisor, Syed Khalid Mahmood, was flanked by their President, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, Secretary General, Anwar Hussain, Information Secretary, Younis Hashmi, and Executive Committee member, Syed Sultan Ali, as they jointly cut a cake on the occasion as mark of celebration for the KIBF glory.

“It’s indeed a historic moment and we want to make it count. The NLA has received tremendous boost by having its stall at the KIBF where the visitors turned up in huge numbers on all five days. Hundreds of membership forms have been filled and we shall soon be starting the scrutiny process,” the NLA President, Muzaffar Ali Shah, declared after the meeting. 

It may be recalled that the NLA, founded in 2017, has been participating in the KIBF since that year but it was for the first time when they set up their own stall in the annual event the other week.

NLA comes of age with KIBF stall

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Although the National Library Association (NLA) has been participating in the Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) since its year of inception in 2017, it was for the first time that they set up their own stall in the marquee event, organized by the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBA). 

It may be recalled that Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah and Anwar Hussain, working as librarians at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) respectively, had co-founded the NLA in 2017. They drew inspiration and strength from Prof Anwar Ahmad Zai, a high-profile government officer in education sector, who volunteered to be the Association’s Advisor. 

While the response from their fellow working librarians at various institutions was lukewarm, the duo of Muzaffar and Anwar worked tirelessly and selflessly under the guidance of the Professor who facilitated their entry into the KIBF in the very first year of the Association’s existence. 

Following the sad demise of Prof Anwar Ahmad Zai in 2020, the NLA leadership succeeded in roping in Syed Khalid Mahmood, a high-achiever in media industry, to become their Advisor last year and together they set new goals which included wholehearted participation in the KIBF. 

The NLA came alive by making its presence felt in a big way in the recently concluded KIBF as their Stall No 100 in Hall 3 of the Karachi Expo Centre remained the focus of attention of the library professionals throughout five days. Innumerable visitors to their stall acquired information about the Association and many of them filled and submitted the membership form.

NLA, SCLA fete promoted librarians

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Library Association (NLA) and the Sindh College Libraries Association (SCLA) joined hands in recognizing the recently promoted senior librarians in a ceremony organized during the 16th Karachi International Book Fair (KIBF) which concluded at the Karachi Expo Centre on January 3. 

Prof Dr Ghani-ul-Akram Sabzwari, a former chairperson of the Library & Information Science department of the University of Karachi, presided over the ceremony in which senior librarians, having been promoted to Grade 19, were presented shields. 

Speaking on the occasion, he congratulated the batch of senior librarians on having earned promotion from the provincial government after continued hard work over the years. He advised them to work proactively for the cause of the profession. 

Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah, President, NLA, commended the newly promoted librarians and welcomed them to the KIBF where the long queues at every stall should make them realize that people don’t have lost the passion for reading books and they are willing to purchase them from their hard-earned savings. 

The office-bearers and volunteers of the NLA and the SCLA were also recognized on the occasion and they received shields from the chief guest.