Lahore: Quaid-e-Azam Public Library enforces gender segregation

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Students say not talking to females understandable, but not sitting on same tables is too extreme
* Library DG says couples outside library have indulged in objectionable activities, enforcement of rule to prevent recurrence

By Abdul Manan
LAHORE: The Quaid-e-Azam Library (QAL) administration has deployed four security guards inside the library to stop male and female students from sitting together in the library premises, students and officials told Daily Times on Monday.

Regular visitors of the library said they would launch a complaint against the administration and the QAL Director General (DG) Imran Ghani, who they say is enforcing his conservative values on the visitors. Statistics reveal that around 70 female students and 150 male students visit the library every day. Majority of the regular visitors are studying for the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination.

Complaining students: A group of 30 students condemned the administration’s action. They said they had the right to accompany female students for purely academic purposes. They alleged the guards did not allow male and female students to sit on the same table. They complained that not allowing discussions between male and female students in the library was understandable, but argued that sitting together was not against the morals of our society. They said security guards had been humiliating them.

The students alleged that the Ghani had enforced extreme religious values in the Punjab University for decades, adding that he now wanted to impose the same ideology on the QAL. QAL Chief Librarian Muhammad Taj said according to QAL Membership Rules 2001, male and female readers were not allowed to sit on the same table without prior permission of the librarian. He said they were allowed to sit together under unusual circumstances if they refrained from gossiping and loud discussion.

QAL DG: Ghani said there was a power failure in QAL around 6pm on Saturday, adding that there was completed darkness in the library. He said library officials contacted him asking who would be held responsible incase of a mishap. Ghani said he reached the library and controlled the situation, after which the rule had been enforced. He said couples had previously indulged in objectionable activities outside the QAL, and its impacts affected the library’s environment. He said he was against ‘extreme liberty’, as it could make the society corrupt.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...08_pg13_10