DLP Report
PESHAWAR
A high-level meeting was held to address the illegal occupation of premises at Jalal Baba Auditorium, Maulana Muhammad Ishaq Public Library Abbottabad, and Public Library Mansehra.
Chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Higher Education, Archives, and Libraries, Meena Khan Afridi, the meeting was attended by officials from the Office of Commissioner Hazara, Rescue 1122, and the Directorate of Archives and Libraries KP.
Officials briefed the meeting that institutions such as the Hazara Abasin Arts Council, National Book Foundation, District Zakat Office, Ombudsman Office, and an NGO have been illegally operating offices within Jalal Baba Auditorium for years. It was revealed that these premises were allotted without consulting the Higher Education, Archives, and Libraries Department, with the Abbottabad district administration granting illegal occupancy.
Additionally, Rescue 1122 has set up an office in the upper portion of Public Library Mansehra. This space was initially allotted during the COVID-19 pandemic on an emergency basis, but its continued occupation has led to severe space constraints for the library.
Minister Meena Khan Afridi directed that Jalal Baba Auditorium be returned to the Directorate of Archives and Libraries through a phased process. She instructed all stakeholders to collaborate and relocate their offices elsewhere. Furthermore, she announced that funds would be allocated for the renovation of Jalal Baba Auditorium in the upcoming annual development plan.
Afridi also directed Rescue 1122 authorities to vacate Public Library Mansehra by July this year, emphasizing that libraries across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being upgraded into model libraries.
