KHUZDAR, BALOCHISTAN; The Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), Khuzdar Zone, has called the closure of portions of the Khuzdar Digital Library “unacceptable” and demanded that all sections of the library be restored.
The statement described the Khuzdar Digital Library as the city’s only public library where hundreds of students study in a quiet environment, noting it has served as an essential resource for board exams, university entrance tests, competitive exams, and other academic purposes for years.
According to the committee, local administration recently issued an order to permanently vacate a large portion of the library in order to establish a seminar hall and academy for hosting seminars and other educational activities. Students currently using that section have reportedly been told to relocate to another library located outside the city.
The committee said students have expressed serious concerns over the decision, arguing that converting a significant part of the library into a seminar hall or academy would undermine its original purpose. It said the alternative library students are being asked to move to is smaller than the current facility and, being located outside the city, would be difficult for many students particularly intermediate-level students, who make up the majority of the library’s users to access on a daily basis.
The statement said students held meetings with various local administration officials to request a review of the decision and preservation of the library in its current form. Following these meetings, the administration reportedly formed a joint committee to resolve the issue. However, according to the statement, when students later met with the librarian, the committee was not recognized and students were instead ordered to vacate the library immediately a development BSAC said heightened concerns among students further.
BSAC Khuzdar Zone said converting a public library, in full or in part, into an academy or seminar hall is unacceptable, arguing that educational facilities should be expanded rather than reduced. It said Khuzdar already suffers from a shortage of quality public educational facilities and that the Digital Library remains the only space where hundreds of students can study in peace.
The committee expressed full solidarity with the students on the issue and demanded that authorities conduct a transparent investigation into the matter, immediately review the orders issued regarding the library’s restriction or relocation, and withdraw them.
The statement added that, under its announced “Balochistan Library Campaign”, BSAC Khuzdar Zone fully supports the students’ demand and will stand with them until a fair resolution is reached.
