Library awaits books, furniture, power connection.

Byline: Tariq Saeed

TOBA TEK SINGH -- The Raza Farooq Library has reopened in Pirmahal after six years. People love to call it a library even though the facility has no electricity connection and lacks sufficient furniture and books.

The previous PML-N government built it with a cost of Rs30 million. In 2012, then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the construction work when he visited Pirmahal to address a public meeting. He committed to providing funds for the library named after late lawyer Raza Farooq Ramday, son of late attorney general Mian Farooq Ramday, and nephew of retired Justice Khalil Ramday. Late Farooq was the husband of PML-N Senator Ayesha Raza Ramday.

Mr Sharif, however, never met his commitment as staffers were not appointed and furniture and books not provided. The building remained empty for years. It was used by revenue patwaris as patwarkhana in 2013.

Finally, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government appointed librarians and made it functional this month. The appointment of staff, however, failed to make it a...