The first-ever public library in Turbat has been kept closed by the authorities for a long time, causing frustration and confusion among students.
According to Aziz Hasil, who regularly posts on social media about the closure of the public library in Turbat, it was closed when cases of COVID-19 newly emerged in November 2020.
On January 1, 2020, a notification was issued that read that the library building needed repairs. Up until April 2020, it remained closed after which, Aziz said, they raised their voice for the reopening of the library. In August that year, the authorities began repairing, but no one could really know what was happening. When asked about the progress, they were ensured that the library would be reopened in November (2020). “The library could never get reopened thereafter. Despite my frequent visits to the library and the authorities, I was only given false promises regarding the reopening of the library,” Aziz said.
Public Library Turbat was established in 2012 by former provincial minister Syed Ehsan Shah for the people of the city. With the establishment of this library, the students were able to prepare for admissions and study without having to travel to other cities. It was benefitting the students at large, especially the ones who could barely afford to move away from the city for preparation.
Aziz Hasil, who recently graduated from the University of Turbat, fails to find a quiet place to continue his studies from his hometown. Everyone he meets in the city, who has either graduated or wishes to take admission, complains about the closure of the library. “We only see what is happening and curse our fate, not knowing that it is our right,” Aziz said.
On the other hand, the district administration has put education on the backburner. Despite the fact that the library was named after the public, it has remained closed for the last two years. Aziz said that when he met with the Makran commissioner in August 2020, he ensured him that the renovation work would begin soon, but it never began.
Minute Mirror reached out to other students of the city, and they all had similar reservations. Abdul Rehman, who comes from Khairabad and studies at Atta Shad Degree College Turbat, lamented that after the closure of the public library, he had witnessed a decline in his educational performance. He said that the reopening of the library would help him study for long as he was not able to do so in his hostel because of distractions.
He further explained that his college had a library but it closed at four. “We have classes till 2:00pm and when we are free, we get very little time to stay in the college library,” he added. Abdul Rehman complained that they were often stopped at the library gate and were told that the library was donated to the University of Turbat’s faculty of law. “If it were so, the district administration should not snatch away our public library, or should give us an alternative place for the library,” he stressed.
