Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Keeping in view the importance of libraries for students, researchers and the general public, Pakistan Society of Criminology (PSC) President and senior bureaucrat Fasihuddin has assembled a private library in Peshawar named Research Library Peshawar (RLP) at Farman Manzil, opposite the
FATA Secretariat on Warsak Road.

The Research Library Peshawar was established in 2013 and consists more than 14,000 books. The books in the library were collected primarily from donations by the citizens.

The initiative of Fasihuddin had received applause from students, government officials, and scholars of social science, humanities and other faculties of knowledge.

“The library does not have modern settings due to insufficient resources, but know the place has the potential to become a grand library in Peshawar with vast repository of books, manuals, and journals for public reading,” he added.

The unique article of the library is Pakistan Journal of Criminology, an indigenous body of criminology for best practices, research and crime prevention methodologies.

It could be called the first and best handbook methodologies in the field of criminology in Pakistan. The journal is also HEC recognised and published each year.

A hall in the library is reserved to the newspaper section. It has copies of journals, daily and weakly newspapers in Pashto, Urdu and English languages.

The library plays to host to a variety of literary session in which prominent intellectuals like World Pashto Conference Chairman Saleem Raz, broadcaster and writer Hamdullah Jan Bismil, educationist Prof Nusrat Naseem, Ishaq Wardag, Iqbal Sikander, Shakeel Nayab, Syed Habib Sajid, Khadim Yousafzai, etc speak their thoughts.

Archives Library Peshawar senior official Zahirullah said that RLP was a unique and first of its kind library in KP, which provides vast material and books on the study of different dynamics of terrorism, criminology, tourism, literature and history.

“All these activities are good and useful, and may grant the library a central place in the capital city. We all must fund such places in order to increase the culture of reading in the province,” he added.

Fasihuddin said initially he was enthusiastic to run the library on modern line but was unable to do so due financial constraints. He urged the provincial government to help him run the library affairs.

Fasihuddin said that KP Finance Minister Advocate Muzafar Saeed had announced Rs 1.5 millions for a lecture hall in the library, but the Planning and Development Department dismissed the proposal.

He appealed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to approve the necessary funds for smooth publication of Pakistan Journal of Criminology.