Lahore | November 13, 2026Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Adviser to the Chief Minister of Punjab Ali Dar visited the Education Arena Book Fair held at the Expo Centre Lahore, where they toured various exhibition stalls. Senior journalist and intellectual Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami was also present on the occasion.The distinguished guests were warmly welcomed upon their arrival at Education Arena. Ahsan Shafiq, CEO of Lasani Book Palace and CEO of Arena Group Educational, accompanied the guests on a tour of the exhibition and briefed them on the objectives and activities of the event.Speaking on the occasion, Adviser to the Chief Minister Ali Dar expressed his pleasure at visiting the exhibition and appreciated Ahsan Shafiq’s outstanding contributions to the promotion of education, knowledge and literature. He said that he had visited more than 200 stalls, where he interacted with professionals associated with the publishing industry, stationery manufacturers and exporters. He appreciated the quality of products manufactured by Pakistani companies and the high standards of books on display, adding that the exhibition was a place where visitors could easily spend an entire day.Ali Dar congratulated Ahsan Shafiq on organising a successful event and noted that this was the third edition of the exhibition. He expressed hope that hundreds of similar editions would be organised in the future on an even larger scale, adding that he hoped all the halls of the Expo Centre would be filled with exhibitors by the next edition.Highlighting the relationship between education and Pakistan’s development, Ali Dar said that education was the most fundamental necessity and that nothing meaningful could be achieved without it. Education, he said, was the key to securing a brighter future for coming generations. He added that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was giving special priority to the education sector. The government was committed to ensuring that no child in Punjab remained deprived of education and that every child had equal opportunities to learn.Addressing the gathering, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said that promoting education and reading habits could bring positive changes not only to society but also to government institutions and the state as a whole. Congratulating the organisers, he appreciated the excellent environment created at the exhibition and expressed his pleasure at being part of the event. He hoped that this initiative would continue with the same enthusiasm in the years ahead.Emphasising the importance of reading books and publications, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan recalled that reading books and magazines was once a popular habit in society. People enthusiastically read international publications such as Time Magazine and Newsweek. However, he observed that interest in reading had gradually declined over time. One of the major reasons, he noted, was the rising cost of publishing books and the increasing prices of paper.He stated that if the government wished to revive the culture of reading, publishers and book producers would need special incentives. He stressed the need to reduce duties on paper, ensure the availability of quality printing materials and introduce effective measures to encourage the local publishing industry, enabling Pakistan to produce and publish books that meet international standards.The Speaker also appreciated the initiatives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, stating that providing citizens with a better quality of life was their fundamental right. A clean environment, improved civic facilities and quality education were not merely government projects but basic public rights. He noted that the Chief Minister had taken practical steps to improve living standards, with positive results emerging from these initiatives.He further appreciated the measures being taken in Punjab to promote education and bring out-of-school children back into the formal education system. Providing educational scholarships and other facilities to encourage children to attend schools was an important step forward. He emphasised that education was the pathway through which Pakistan could achieve progress, prosperity and sustainable development.Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan also commended the efforts of the event organisers, particularly Ahsan Shafiq, stating that educational and literary events of this nature played a significant role in bringing positive change to society, promoting reading habits and developing a love for knowledge among the younger generation.At the conclusion of the visit, the distinguished guests congratulated the organisers on the successful arrangement of the Education Arena Book Fair and appreciated their contributions to promoting education, literature and the publishing industry.
