Multan's historic Municipal Public Library reopens with a café and a 700-book exam corner

Multan's historic Municipal Public Library has reopened after restoration, with its original architecture kept intact and a new library café added, ProPakistani reported on Friday 23 October.

For students in Multan preparing for CSS, PMS, police and other competitive tests, the most useful addition is a dedicated section of about 700 books for exam candidates, more than 200 of them donated by local philanthropists.

What's inside

• The restored building, with its original design preserved.
• A library café, meant to make the library a place to sit and read rather than only borrow.
• A competitive-exam section of about 700 books.
• A digital catalogue, still being built.
• Coming later: a food court and a craft bazaar in the complex, and possible concessions for scholars and writers, which are under consideration.

Writers and academics donated books at the opening ceremony, attended by MPA Salman Naeem, Commissioner Multan Aamir Kareem Khan, Walled City Authority Director General Najam-ul-Saqib and industrialist Khawaja Jawad.

Part of a bigger heritage push

The library project grew out of a review of restoration work at Qasim Fort, Multan's historic fort, and officials say the aim is to revive the city's landmarks while getting more young people reading. Opening hours and membership fees have not been announced; ask at the library desk before you go.

For exam candidates

If you are applying for a commission post, keep an eye on age limits and fees as well as the syllabus. Our age calculator tells you your exact age on a closing date, which is how the commissions check eligibility.