GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz on Thursday inaugurated the Exhibition and Research Centre at the Municipal Library here.

Students, historians, academics and relevant officials attended the ceremony.

The chief secretary told participants that the centre, a joint venture of the GB government and the Aga Khan Cultural Services Pakistan Office, had been established to preserve the pictures of the region’s historical buildings, places, and heroes, kings, warlords and famous personalities of various fields from the Colonial era, and for the use of researchers and writers.

He said the region had a rich culture and history, which should be preserved and showcased. Dr Kazim said the centre would help promote knowledge, discourse, learning and research benefiting a large number of people.

He asked young civil officers to develop a taste for the local culture and history. The chief secretary regretted that the new gazetteer hadn’t been written after the Independence.

He said the books required for civil service competitive exams should be available in the centre.

Dr Kazim said efforts were under way to establish an audio visual resource centre to benefit the youths.

He said there was need for cultivating the habit of reading books among youths.

Speaking on the occasion, former librarian Sherbaz Ali Bercha highlighted the historical background of the building and praised the chief secretary for striving to promote literature in the region.

He said the Municipal Library stood on the official residence of John Biddulph, the first British political agent of Gilgit Agency.

Mr Bercha said John Biddulph’s residence was the first building of colonial structure in the region. He said John Biddulph was a writer and a nature historian with an interest in flora and fauna.

“The first British political agent brought a lot of books with him and kept them at his residence, where the British Army’s officers posted to the region read them. When Biddulph returned, the residence was declared British officer station library, which was named the Municipal Library after the region’s accession with Pakistan,” he said.

He said the library had a large collection of books on history, geography and literature.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2018