The 15th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) kept entertaining everyone as it reached its third and last day, focusing on making the world a better place through books and stories.
As the day filled with interesting talks and learning about different cultures, the evening sparkled with famous writers like Zehra Nigah, Iftikhar Arif, Kishwar Naheed, and Muneeza Shamsie receiving special awards for their amazing work.
The day had lots of cool talks, like a panel called “In Pursuit of an Ethical State.” People like Syed Kaleem Imam, Shahab Usto, Mazhar Abbas, and Huma Baqai talked about how societies can work together to create fair and good rules for how they’re run.
Stories from Pakistan written in English have become really famous. In a fun session called “Coming of Age: Pakistani English Language Literature,” moderated by Claire Chambers, Muneeza Shamsie, Salman Tarek Kureshi, Maniza Naqvi, and Taha Kehar talked about how these stories have grown, why they’re important, and what’s happening in this kind of literature today.
Masood Lohar led a talk about the problems in Karachi. The session was called “Urban Dialogues: Decoding Karachi’s Dynamics” and was overseen by Arif Hasan. Murtaza Wahab, Tariq Alexander Qaiser, and Afia Salam talked about these challenges, and the audience really liked what they had to say.
Murtaza talked about how talking openly is really important. He said, “I support the idea of regular people being part of making decisions for our city. I want every person in Karachi to work together with me in any way they can, so we can have a city we all feel happy about.”
Sanjay Rajoura, Mustafa Chaudary, Murtaza Chaudry, and Faysal Chaudry made everyone laugh in their fun session called “Hansna Mana Hai.” Shaha Tariq and Imran Yusuf had a talk about how our minds and feelings can stay strong, called “Building Strong Minds.” And there was also a session about taking care of our planet, where young people and teachers discussed what actions we can take to help with climate change and sustainability.
The session “By the Swaying Palms and the Mangrove Creek: Poetry in English” was all about enjoying and appreciating poems written in English. Salman Tarek Kureshi talked with Sophia Bano, Minaa Shahzad, Zarmina Raza, Farida Faizullah, Moeen Faruqi, Moosa Gardezi, and Sanayya Saleem about the beauty of these poems.
Saba Karim Khan led a talk called “Film: The Power of Storytelling.” In this session, Sanam Saeed, Faryal Mehmood, Abid Aziz Merchant, Muhib Mirza, and Bee Gul talked about how movies have a special power to inspire, entertain, and make us think, all through the magic of storytelling.
Mujahid Barelvi led a talk called In a talk called ‘Aik Naya Zawiya’ (A New Perspective), Justice (retd) Anwar Mansoor, Shaiq Usmani, and Shaheen Salahuddin shared their thoughts and ideas in a fun and interesting way.
Ghazi Salahuddin, Jibran Nasir, Harris Kahlique, and Afia Salam talked about Human Rights and Wrongs. Jibran Nasir shared, As Pakistanis, it’s important to know that human rights are more than just religious freedom. They are like a set of rules for being fair and good in a changing society.
Muhammad Azfar Ahsan had an exciting talk with a group of people in a session called “The Big Picture: Future of Pakistan.” They discussed important things like making the country better in terms of money, politics, being kind to each other, using new technology, and understanding how different countries are connected. He said, “Talking together and thinking as a group will help us see the whole picture of Pakistan’s future, thinking about both money and education.” If we use new ideas, encourage people to start new things, and make sure everyone gets a good education, we can make our dream of a happy and growing Pakistan come true.
Mohammad Ali shared, “When we think about ‘The Big Picture: Future of Pakistan,’ having enough energy is really important for our country to be happy and successful. By making smart investments and following good plans, we are creating a strong and lasting energy system that will help everyone in Pakistan move forward and have more chances to succeed.
Selma Dabbagh shared her thoughts on “Ceasefire Forever,” and Mahnaz Naveed Shah, Kamran Moin Anwar, and Qawal Najmuddin revealed “The Untold Story of Classical Qawwali.” Sameena Nazir’s play, “Ladies Tailor,” was liked by many. Zehra Nigah and Aamir Jafarey explored the wonderful writings of Ada Jafarey in a session called “A World of Her Own.” Noorul Huda Shah, Attiya Dawood, and Mumtaz Bukhari talked about translating Sindhi Classics in a discussion titled “Translations of Sindhi Classics: From Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai to Shaikh Ayaz.”
The closing ceremony of the 15th KLF was a special time to honor important thinkers and writers. The organizers used this special moment to celebrate Zehra Nigah, Iftikhar Arif, Kishwar Naheed, and Muneeza Shamsie for their big help and support to the OUP Literature Festivals right from the start.
Najeeba Arif, in her special talk, said: It’s really important to know that learning about and enjoying stories and books is a big part of ‘ILM,‘ which is talked about in the Quran. The Karachi Literature Festival is like a lively stage where we can explore and enjoy knowledge from all around the world.
Najeeba Arif, in her special talk, shared: Learning about and enjoying stories and books is a big part of ‘ILM,’ which is talked about in the Quran. The Karachi Literature Festival is like a lively stage where we can explore and enjoy knowledge from all around the world.
Joseph Massad also talked about the organizers’ hard work, saying: Liberalism and democracy work together to make modern governance strong. They help make sure everyone is treated fairly, has freedom, and gets opportunities.
At the end, Maya Inayat Ismail, who helps the Chairman and leads the Sustainability Forum at HBL, said thank you to everyone: As we finish this literary journey, let’s keep being curious, kind, and creative, just like this festival. Thanks to everyone who made it great, and let’s keep celebrating the magic of words for a long time.
Arshad Saeed Hussain, who helps run Oxford University Press in Pakistan, said thank you to everyone who helped with the festival. He shared, “On behalf of Oxford University Press Pakistan, I want to thank all the people who planned, took part, and came to the festival. You all made it a big success. Your love for books and talking about ideas is really important to us at OUP Pakistan. Thanks to the team, friends, and guests for always supporting education, knowledge, and stories. Together, we’re making a good future using the magic found in books.”
To end the day, everyone enjoyed a wonderful Sufi Qawwali performance by Qawwal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers. It was a great way to finish the evening and make everyone happy.
Anonymous
February 19, 2024Informed