Finance Minister Punjab Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshek on Saturday inaugurated the Lahore Book Fair organised by the Pakistan Publishers and Book Sellers Association in collaboration with Lahore Arts Council.
Dareshek said on the occasion that habit of book reading should be promoted. Book fairs must be organised on regular basis so that people could get books on cheaper rates.
He admitted that prices of books are high in Pakistan. He also called for checking the practice of piracy of books.
Oxford University Press Pakistan Assistant Manager Sales and Marketing Mamoon Rasheed told Business Recorder that Lahore Book Fair is being organised regularly for the last 40 years and about 50 publishers, importers and printers from all over Lahore participate in it.
Paramount, Pak Book Company, Nigarshat, Multi line, Islamic Book Centre, Progressive International Agencies Limited, Bookman and many others have displayed their books in the fair, he said.
The discount ranging from 10 to 50 percent will be given for all the books to be purchased in the fair.
He added that some of the publishers have also displayed second hand books. Due to Muharram, few people visited the book fair on the first day, which will continue till March 8.