Karachi: Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah on Thursday called on the federal government to reduce taxes on paper, warning that excessive taxation was hurting the book publishing industry and pushing books out of the reach of ordinary readers, while steadily eroding the culture of reading in the country.
Speaking after inaugurating the five day Karachi World Book Fair at the Expo Centre, the minister said any reduction in paper tax would directly benefit the public by making books more affordable and widely available. He stressed that unjustified taxes had not only raised book prices but had also affected local printing and textbook production.
Emphasising the importance of books in an age dominated by technology, Syed Sardar Ali Shah said artificial intelligence could not replace books, as AI was based on past knowledge while humanity’s intellectual journey was still unfolding. “A book is not just a collection of pages, it shapes the destiny of nations,” he said, adding that abandoning reading was equivalent to imprisoning thought.
The minister said it was a collective responsibility to bring young people back to books and announced that the Sindh government was introducing initiatives to promote reading at the school level. He said book corners would be established in schools across Sindh to help keep children connected with books from an early age.
He reiterated his demand that the federation shift the tax burden away from readers and publishers and instead strengthen its capacity to collect taxes from affluent segments of society. He said high taxes were discouraging publishers and harming access to knowledge.
Syed Sardar Ali Shah also assured organisers that, following Karachi, international book fairs would be held in other cities of Sindh, including Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas, with the full cooperation of the provincial government.
The education minister was welcomed at the venue by Chairman of the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association Kamran Noorani, Vice Chairman Nadeem Mazhar, Convener Waqar Mateen, Deputy Convener Nasir Hussain, National Book Foundation’s Murad Ali and Director Event and Conference International Rashid ul Haq. President of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi Muhammad Ahmed Shah, along with a large number of writers, scholars, teachers, students and book lovers, was also present.
Addressing the ceremony, Muhammad Ahmed Shah said that being among books gave a true sense of life and allowed people to explore different worlds, stressing the need to protect books and libraries. Kamran Noorani said parents, teachers and society at large must play their role in promoting reading habits, while Murad Ali said book fairs and online platforms had become vital tools for keeping books relevant in the digital age.
The Karachi World Book Fair 2025 is being held from December 18 to December 22 at the Expo Centre Karachi, with publishers from 17 countries participating. A total of 329 stalls have been set up, with around 140 leading publishers and booksellers from across Pakistan taking part. The fair is open daily from 10am to 9pm.
Along with book sales, academic, literary and cultural activities have also been arranged, providing opportunities for book launches and interactions with authors. For the first time, representatives from the publication department of Egypt’s Al Azhar University are participating in the fair.
During his visit, the education minister toured various stalls, including the Al Azhar University publication stall, and appreciated the knowledge promoting initiatives of participating publishers.
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