LAHORE: (Tuesday, April 23, 2013): Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has said that 1.5 billion Muslims are not contributing to creation of new knowledge and the reason behind the downfall of the nation was its distance from the Holy Quran. He was addressing a seminar organized by PU Department of Library and Information Sciences in connection with World Book and Copyright Day.

Prof Dr Arifa Syeda Zuhra, renowned analyst Oriya Maqbool Jan, Chairperson Prof Dr Kanwal Amin, Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, faculty members, representatives of Pakistan Library Association and Alumni Association, librarians and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Dr Kamran said that around 750 verses of Holy Quran, which is 1/8th of the Holy Book, stressed to focus on resolving mysteries of the universe. He said that the nations who created new knowledge made progress and the respectable survival was linked with books. He appealed the rulers to provide books at everyone’s doorstep at an affordable and cheap price. Orya Maqbool Jan said that Pakistan had not established even a single public library in the last 43 years and the issue had never been discussed in the meetings of chief ministers and governors. Prof Dr Arifa Syeda Zuhra said that we had made education a source of income rather than a source of reforming our life as the books taught respect of words and their message. He said that books had no priority in our society. Later, books were distributed among the winners of competition in connection with World Book and Copyright Day. Earlier, a walk was also held from the department to Al-Razi Hall.