Karachi’s oldest bookstore Thomas & Thomas standing tall

Thomas & Thomas, one of the oldest surviving bookstores in Karachi is still striving to attract book readers amid the digital age where everything is accessible at the fingertips.

Saddar’s electronics market is home to a bookstore that is believed to be around 100 years old. Thomas & Thomas was run by two British brothers before a Pakistani businessman bought it in 1948.

Mahmood, who works at the bookstore, said that he has been working at the store since 1986.

“People do not have time to read books now. Why would they come to the store when they can get everything on the internet,” he added.

According to him, the readers’ presence diminished with the passage of time as social media has changed the dynamics of reading.

For Mahmood, the generation that loved to read has perished and the new generation has very little interest in books.

Habib, another bookseller, expressed hope that people will turn to reading books.

“Readers would frequently visit the stores from politicians to foreigners to read and buy books of their choosing,” he added.

Karachi was home to around five such bookstores including Thomas & Thomas. However, they either closed down or shifted while Thomas & Thomas remains the only one that is struggling to hold its place in the metropolitan’s busy life.