book reading culture in pakistan

Except for those who have had the privilege of going to top schools in Pakistan, it is rare to come across anyone who is into reading books. And talking to such people is a very suffocating experience.

It is sad to see people who went through university education in Pakistan, but have never picked up a book and read through it. Reading books creates depth, a sense of perspective, a sense of relating to things other than what is in your immediate personal sphere. Reading books makes a person less selfish, since he is better equipped to understand a point of view that may not directly relate to him.

But sadly, not only that majority of university educated pakistanis have never picked a book, they have never even watched a documentary on TV regarding a historical event or even an educational "discovery channel" like video. But yes, majority of them sure have watched cheap Bollywood romance films or meaningless Hollywood thrillers. And the documentaries they watched are of propaganda nature that somehow show the godly achievements of our current rulers.

It is no wonder then that we are like sheep today, who can be hijacked and ruthlessly ruled by foreign agents, and who can even be told by the ambassador of a foreign country regarding when to hold our elections.

Zinda dili is about knowing your rights and duties, and not just putting a pile of food in front of your guests, as the "zinda dilaan-e-lahore" so readily do. And this knowledge of rights and duties only comes when a culture of learning exists.......not just learning by rot of the text books.