10th Literature Festival Begins with Engaging Sessions

 By: Aziz Khatri

 Karachi: The 10th Literature Festival opened today at Habitt City, Karachi, celebrating literature, cultural expression, and artistic heritage. The event brought together writers, thinkers, students, and book lovers for a full day of intellectually stimulating sessions and performances.

The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Zehra Nigah, with Pomi Amina Gauhar as Master of Ceremonies. The proceedings began with the national anthem performed by students of Roots Millennium School, followed by welcome remarks from the festival’s founder and director, Ameena Saiyid OBE, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and Munees Abdullah, CEO IBL Group and venue partner.

This year’s Infaq Foundation: Literature Festival Literary Awards (Sindhi, Urdu, English) were announced during the ceremony, honouring outstanding literary contributions from across the country. The session also featured keynote addresses by Kishwar Naheed, Dr. Ishrat Husain, and Shandana Minhas.

A deeply emotional segment, “Tum Yaad Aaye: In Memoriam (2020–2025)”, paid homage to eminent intellectuals and artists who passed away in recent years, including Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Nuzhat Kidwai, Zubeida Mustafa, Aamir Aziz Syed, Khalid Ahmad, Talat Hussain, Muhammad Qavi Khan, Zia Mohyeddin, Shoaib and Humayun Hashmi, Amjad Islam Amjad, Shakeel, Imran Aslam, Naira Noor, Imdad Hussaini, Saeed Hasan Khan, Sheherezade Alam, Haseena Moin, Naeelah Jafri, Suhail Lari, I.A. Rehman, Yasmin Tahir, Bapsi Sidhwa, and many more.

The tribute included a moving performance by Sheema Saiyid, who presented a ghazal sung by Nayyara Noor, accompanied by Samreen Harrison on cello/violin. Usama Israr Ahmed followed with “Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hain Tere,” both compositions by Arshad Mahmood.

Dynamic Sessions Throughout the Day

Multiple parallel sessions explored themes including Urdu literature, progressive politics, cultural heritage, fine arts, history, and education.

Children participated in lively activities such as book and craft fairs, storytelling by Yasmeen Mu’tasim, a puppet show by Mehreen Kamran, book-making with Ameena Saiyid, and theatre workshops led by Atif Badar. A youth-focused creative writing workshop, “Story Makers Studio,” conducted by Taha Kahar, drew significant interest.

The day’s first major literary conversation featured Zehra Nigah and Shoaib Arshad discussing the evolution of Urdu literature in “Jo Sun Sako To Yeh Sab Dastan Tumhari Hai.”

A parallel book discussion on “Zahid Hussain: A Dialogue with History and Face-to-Face with Benazir” included Dr. Umair Ahmed Khan and Dr. Nafisa Shah.

Another session on “The Rise and Fall of Progressive Literature and Politics in Pakistan” featured thought-provoking insights from Dr. Nazir Mahmood and Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed.

A popular panel titled “Connecting Art, the City, and Its People” with Noor Ahmed, Amin Gulgee, and Bushra Hussain, moderated by Syed Hasnain Naqvi, examined the role of art in shaping civic identity. Documentary films created during the Karachi Biennale workshop were also screened.

Simultaneously, a session on “The Cultural Relationship of Sindh with the River and the Sea” brought together Saif Samejo, Naseer Memon, and Zubeida Birwani, moderated by Noorul Huda Shah.

Book Launches and Conversations

The author of “My Friend Maya”, Amber Zafar Khan, was interviewed by Khurram Qureshi.

This was followed by a discussion on Shabbar Zaidi’s “32 Onkar Road” with Saleem Raza, and a session featuring Zafar Masud and Kazim Saeed on the English translation of Syed Muhammad Taqi’s “The Future of Civilization,” translated by Sameera Naqvi.

A highlight of the day was “Heer: Today’s Woman—A Celebration of Waris Shah’s Masterpiece,” with reflections by Sarwat Mohiuddin and a soulful performance by Usama Israr Ahmed.

A dramatic reading from Zubeida Mustafa’s “Chatting with Dadi” preceded a discussion featuring Shama Askari, Ameena Saiyid, Baila Raza Jamil, and Romana Hussain.

The English translation launch of “Queen Zarca: A Transgender’s Odyssey” (originally in Pashto), translated by Shama Askari, included speakers Nisha and Naila Mahmood, moderated by Hooria Noorani.

Another major session, “Beyond the Bomb: Munir Ahmed and Pakistan ODC,” was launched by Farhatullah Babar, 

followed by a discussion with Mazhar Abbas, Ameena Saiyid, and Aizaz Syed, moderated by Umair Aziz Syed. The session closed with a rendition of “Watan Ki Mitti Gawah Rehna” by Aira.

Media, Education, and Poetry Mark the Evening

A high-profile panel titled “Truth, Term, and Tensity: The New Media Paradigm” featured senior journalists Fazil Jamili, Amber Rahim Shamsi, Azhar Abbas, and Aizaz Syed, moderated by Nadia Naqi, discussing trust deficits in the digital media landscape.

At the same time, Canadian entrepreneur Syed Naveed Hussain delivered an inspirational talk, “Become the Masters of Your Own City—Why Pakistan Must Stop Outsourcing Its Future,” introduced by Raheela Baghai.

A parallel panel on higher education featured Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Talib Karim, Dr. Anjum Hilali, and Dr. Huma Baqai, addressing the future of learning in Pakistan.

A multilingual poetry session, “Pakistan Ki Zubaanain,” showcased poets representing Saraiki, Balochi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Brushaski, and Balti, moderated by Waheed Noor, drawing a large and enthusiastic audience.

The day concluded with Usman Israr Ahmed’s musical tribute to Tina Sani and Nayyara Noor, followed by a grand poetry recital presided over by Zehra Nigah, joined by Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui and Anwar Shaoor. Poets, including Afzal Ahmed Syed, Tanveer Anjum, Khalid Moin, Kashif Hussain, Ghayar, Waheed Noor, Fazil Jamili, Inaam Nadeem, Kashif Raza, Wajiha Thani, Dr. Mana, Dr. Najeeba Arif, and Kishwar Naheed, presented their work.

Founded in partnership with the late Asif Farrukhi, the festival’s 10th edition reaffirmed its mission to promote dialogue, creativity, and cultural harmony.