The three-day 9th Islamabad Literary Festival 2023, in collaboration with Oxford University Press and Capital Development Authority (CDA), has come to an end. A large number of citizens including famous writers, literature, culture, journalism, arts, politicians people from different walks of life, and eminent personalities also participated in the literary festival. Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Captain (Rtd) Anwar ul Haq also participated in the last day of the Literary Festival.
Colorful programs were also presented on the third and last day of the ninth literary fair held in Islamabad. The third day started with the program “River of Fire: The Story of the Subcontinent in the Words of Qurtul Ain” by Aamir Jafri and Agha Sajjad Hussain at Intar Hussain Auditorium.
After that, there was a question and answer session with senior journalist Hamid Mir on the country’s political and economic issues, and after that, Maniza Hashmi and Ayesha Sarwari’s program Conversation with My Father: Forty Years on a Daughter Respond was presented. Moreover, Pakistan’s famous writer “Saadat Hasan Manto: Let’s Play Drama,” was also the center of attention of the attendees of the program.
Apart from this, a program was also presented regarding Pakistan’s foreign policy and economic challenges, in which Maleeha Lodhi and Aziz Chaudhry expressed their views in a beautiful and unique way. After that, the program Human Rights: Is There a Meaning Left was also presented.
In the event, senior journalists Haris Khaliq, Athar Abbas, Adil Shahzeb, Asma Shirazi, and Matiullah Jan, along with social leader Farzana Bari expressed their views and said that in today’s era of chaos, human rights are limited to the limits of books only.
Similarly, the Film: The Power of Storytelling program was also presented in which famous directors Sarmad Khost, Samar Manullah, Amardeep Singh and Usman Mukhtar expressed their views and shed light on different ways of talking in Urdu literature.
On the third and last day of the Islamabad Literary Festival, Resilient Pakistan: Sociocultural Impact program was presented at Parveen Shaker Hall, in which well-known politicians Mushahid Hussain Syed and Haya Fatima Sehgal shed light on the social and cultural impact of a strong Pakistan.
Similarly, in the program Securing Pakistan’s Interest: Navigating Foreign Affairs and Policy, Huma Baqaei and Ikram Sehgal made a detailed discussion and shed light on security policies including internal and external affairs of Pakistan and making Pakistan a safe country in every way.
After that, in the Harmony Across Borders: The Quest for Peace and Security among Neighbors program, well-known columnists Ikram Sehgal, Zahid Hussain, and Victoria Sackfield highlighted the good and strong relations with the neighboring countries. Additionally, Arshad Mahmood Naushad and Muhammad Izharul Haq presented the program “O Asman khut uttar by Izharul Haq.”
Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq, Arshad Saeed Hussain, Maryam Chaghtai, and Mian Imran Masood expressed their views on the topic of Curriculum, Textbook, High Stakes Assessments: Way Forward. After that, the program “Ishq Nama Shah Hussain: Sufism, Blame, Sangeet, Kalam by Farrukh Yar” was presented in which Sharif Awan, Farrukh Yar, Kishore Naheed along with Arshad Mahmood Naushad participated.
Moreover, the program “Importance of Translation” was also presented in which Mohammad Ali Farooqui, Inam Nadeem, Yasmin Hameed, along Sarwat Mohiuddin expressed their views. Similarly, in the Business and Economy: Shaping the Way Forward program, economic experts Ayesha Ghos Pasha, Mohammad Azfar Ehsan, Nadeem Hussain along with Nadeem Hussain participated and said that the secret of the development of any country is to promote business activities because Business has a very close relationship with the economy.
Apart from this, a detailed discussion was held between Sajjad Azhar and Farrukh Yar on the history, civilization, and culture of the twin cities in the program “Rawal Raj: Rawalpindi Islamabad History of Civilization and Myths by Sajjad Azhar” in Amjad Islam Amjad Hall. After that, the program “جہاں آباد کی گلیاں از اصغر ندیم سید” was presented.
The famous writer of the country Asghar Nadeem Syed had a discussion with Nasir Abbas Nair, after which The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon program was presented. Bodies Safina Danish. The discussion between Elahi and Taha Kher was well appreciated by the program audience. Similarly, the interesting dialogue between the famous writer Asghar Nadeem Syed and Kishore Naheed in the “1980s Ka Ashob” program was well received.
In addition, the conversation between Inam Nadeem and Shahzad Sharjeel in the program “DUkhtar Rumi by Inam Nadeem” was very much liked by the audience of the program. Moreover, in the program “Our Fading Languages,” well-known columnists Zubair Taruli, Zubair Ahmed, Tariq Rehman, Zaman Sagar expressed their views and said that, unfortunately, in today’s era, we people do not think well of speaking Urdu, which is the reason.
We are moving away from our culture and language day by day. After that, in the program A Columnist’s Voice a Conversation about a Life Lived with Passion, Victoria Sackfield, Agha Imran Hamid, and Khawar Mumtaz highlighted its importance in column writing and journalism.
Moreover, Sharif Awan and Athar Masood expressed their views in the “Music in Covid Time Album Launch” program on the last day of the literary festival, which the program attendees appreciated. Similarly, the “Black Diamond by Samina Nazir” program was also presented in which a discussion took place between Samina Nazir and Sanobar Nazir. After that, in the Voice from Foothills: Pakistani English Verse Chair program, Raja Chingiz Sultan, Resham Amjad, along with Waqas Naeem and Mawra Bari also expressed their views.
It should be noted that on the three days of this literary festival while raising their voices in favor of the oppressed Palestinians, people belonging to all walks of life also paid their respects to them and said that the international community and other human rights organizations are effective for an immediate ceasefire.
On the third and last day of the fair, renowned poet Anwar Masood and Senator Sherry Rehman thanked the organizers of the 9th Islamabad Literary Festival and credited their special efforts. He further said that it is the national duty of all of us to highlight the importance of Urdu literature in the new generation in modern ways. He further said that such festivals should be organized regularly in every city of the country.
Renowned poet Anwar Masood highlighted the importance of Urdu literature praised the efforts of the organizers of the literary fair, and described Allama Iqbal’s poetry as extremely important for national development. On this occasion, Director Public Relations of CDA Abira Dilawar also appreciated the services of the organizers and volunteers and the full cooperation of CDA for the successful organization of the 9th Islamabad Literary Festival.
Ghazal Night was also organized on the third and last day of the 9th Islamabad Literary Festival.
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