Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Shafqat Ali Khan on Thursday inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, highlighting the country’s literary heritage and diverse publishing industry.
Pakistan Pavilion inaugurated at Sharjah Int’l Book Fair
ABU DHABI, Nov 05 (APP):Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Shafqat Ali Khan on Thursday inaugurated the Pakistan Pavilion at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, highlighting the country’s literary heritage and diverse publishing industry.
The book fair, being held from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah, features a wide range of Pakistani publications in Urdu and English, including poetry, novels, children’s literature, educational and research materials, and books on history and culture.
Representatives of leading Pakistani publishing houses attended the inauguration, including Gagan Shahid, Director of Book Corner Jhelum; Daniyal Salam, Director of Ferozsons (Pvt.) Ltd.; and Sarmad Khan, Co-founder of Urdu Books World.
During his visit, the ambassador toured stalls of Pakistani publishers, including Qudrat Ullah Company, Zia Ul Quran Publications and Paramount Books.
He thanked the organisers of the Pakistan Pavilion and appreciated Sharjah’s role as a centre of culture, knowledge and education, observing that the international book fair had become an important part of the emirate’s cultural identity.
The ambassador encouraged residents across the UAE, particularly members of the Pakistani community in Sharjah, to visit the fair and maintain their interest in books and reading. He reaffirmed that the Government of Pakistan and the Embassy would continue to provide all possible support to strengthen Pakistan’s participation in future editions of the event.
On the occasion, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan also met Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Book Authority, and discussed ways to strengthen literary and cultural cooperation between Pakistan and Sharjah.
The ambassador appreciated Sharjah’s achievements in promoting culture and knowledge, emphasising their role in fostering understanding and bringing people together.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in these fields and highlighted the need to enhance the availability of books, particularly Urdu publications, for the Pakistani community in Sharjah.
The ambassador also visited the stall of the Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Foundation, where its Director, Sheikh Ayman Hamdi Al-Akbari, briefed him on the foundation’s efforts to preserve Islamic scholarly heritage and make original texts accessible to wider audiences.
He welcomed the foundation’s publication of two works by renowned Muslim scholar Shah Waliullah Muhaddis Dehlvi, Al-Khair al-Kathir and Al-Lamahat, featuring commentaries by Pakistani scholar Mufti Abdul Khaliq Azad Raipuri.
