SIALKOT — A Public Library with Locked Gates
“Libraries, masjids, and churches are supposed to be for everyone. But not when it comes to Sialkot’s Allama Iqbal Library on Paris Road.”
This sentiment, echoed by frustrated residents, underscores a growing controversy at the historic institution named after Pakistan’s revered national poet. Despite its symbolic role as a beacon of knowledge, the library has enforced a baffling rule: only those with a “library card” may enter, even to browse. Visitors without one are unceremoniously turned away — a policy critics call elitist, exclusionary, and antithetical to Iqbal’s vision of enlightenment.
“You need a card just to enter?” Absurd!
The library, established in 1894 and renamed in 1961 to honor Allama Iqbal (who was born in Sialkot), has long been a cultural landmark. Yet today, its gates are guarded like a members-only club. Two weeks ago, I attempted to visit but was blocked by a staff member referred to as “Mr. S” (name withheld to avoid retaliation). When I asked why entry required a card, Mr. S replied bluntly, “No card, no entry,” refusing to cite any legal or constitutional basis for the rule.
I discovered that the head in-charge of the library is Mr. T, who controls the rules and regulations of the institution.
The policy defies global norms where library cards are solely for borrowing books, not accessing public spaces. “This isn’t just absurd—it’s hostile,” said Syed Shehryar Kazmi, a Lahore-based journalist and literary commentator. “In Pakistan, reading is treated as a niche hobby for civil service aspirants. By keeping the ‘masses’—whom they see as ‘brutes and savages’—away from books, they maintain control over who gets to be ‘educated’ and who stays subdued.”
Kazmi’s biting critique, laced with sarcasm, targets the gatekeepers of such institutions. His use of “prestigious” mocks the self-importance of those who weaponize bureaucracy to exclude ordinary citizens.
More about Sialkot: History of Sialkot – A Tale of 5 Millenia
A Library for the “Prestigious” Elite?
The card rule appears designed to deter casual visitors. Locals say the library caters almost exclusively to civil service exam candidates, a demographic seen as “worthy” of its resources. One regular user, who requested anonymity, admitted, “They don’t want ‘outsiders’ disrupting the aspirants’ studies. It’s about class, not convenience.”
This exclusion clashes with Allama Iqbal’s legacy. The philosopher-poet championed khudi (self-empowerment) and universal education, yet his namesake library now operates as a de facto study lounge for a privileged few.
“This Is Not Your Father’s Library!”
The confrontation with Mr. S highlights the culture of impunity. When pressed to explain the card rule, he snapped, “This is the system,” treating the public institution as his personal domain. His dismissiveness mirrors a broader bureaucratic apathy.
Similar neglect plagues Sialkot’s Murray College, Allama Iqbal’s alma mater, where a clerk has doubled as librarian for 19 years, presiding over 42,000 decaying books.
Calls to Tear Down the Gates
Activists demand urgent reforms:
- Abolish the Entry Card Rule: Allow free access for reading and browsing.
- Restore the Collection: Allocate funds for new books, not just cosmetic upgrades.
- Hire Qualified Staff: End the reliance on clerks and peons to manage intellectual hubs.
A library that locks out the public is a betrayal of Iqbal’s dream, said a Sialkot-based teacher. “Knowledge cannot be hoarded by the ‘prestigious’—it belongs to everyone.”
The Bigger Battle: Who Controls Knowledge?
The controversy reflects a societal divide. As Pakistan grapples with abysmal literacy rates and anti-intellectualism, the Allama Iqbal Library’s gates symbolize a system that fears an informed public. Will the renovation transform it into a vibrant community space, or will it remain a hollow monument to elitism?
For now, the doors stay shut—and the poet’s dream of “a new world, a new nation” feels impossibly distant.
