KARACHI: The second day of the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) 2025 continued with its traditional unbound energy, developing new thought and bonding ententes into lifelong relationships of readers and authors, thinkers, and listeners.
Literature, culture, public interest, and youth – all four domains were well explored. Climate Change formed a stronger construct in various discussions particularly in the conversation with Senator Sherry Rehman and educationist Ambreena Ahmed deliberating on Pakistan’s first curriculum “Creating Resilience through Climate Change Education.” Senator Rehman declaring climate awareness a top priority, said, “It is only through education that we can instil a long-term framework for our nation to become resilient for this devastating change in the wings.”
Senator Sherry Rehman and Victoria Schofield held a profound conversation on their “Journey of Friendship and Political Activism” while exploring some aspects of Victoria’s book “The Fragrance of Tears: My Friendship with Benazir Bhutto”.
Climate advocacy also received attention in ‘From Learning to Leading: Climate Education and Advocacy,’ featuring Afia Salam, Syeda Rinam Fatima, Athar Osama, Tabinda Jabeen, and Danish Rashdi, moderated by Maha Husain.
Poignant references and humorous anecdotes filled ‘Moin Akhtar: One Man Show,’ featuring the renowned Anwar Maqsood, Zeba Shahnaz, and Ghazal Ansari. Sharjeel Akhtar moderated the session allowing Anwar Maqsood to truly share his journey with the legendary Moin.
‘The Legal System of Pakistan by Hamid Khan’ explored the barriers and flexibility in our legal landscape. Hamid Khan and Faisal Siddiqui’s discussion was moderated by Salahuddin Ahmed. ‘We the People: Our Constitution and the Rule of Law,’ also resonated with the need for legal improvisation with Raza Rabbani, Abid Zuberi, Sara Malkani, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Zameer Ghumro. The session was led by Ayesha Tammy Haq, dissecting Pakistan’s constitutional framework and governance challenges
‘A Literary Bond,’ saw Muneeza Shamsie and Kamila Shamsie reflecting on family stories shaping their writing. Kamila agreed that “The Power of familial bonds is life long and impacts every word that goes on the page.” Kamila also shared her narrative in ‘Across the Decade: Discovering New Dimensions, New Histories,’ where she , along with Maniza Naqvi, Saba Karim and Omar Shahid Hamid delved deeper into the historical weave of the stories.
Embracing the paperless e-books, the literary transition to digital formats was dissected in ‘Kaghaz Kii Mehek Roothnay Ko Hai: Kitaab Se-E-Book Tak Ka Safar,’ with Mubeen Mirza, Hoori Noorani, Iqbal Khursheed, and Maniza Naqvi in conversation, moderated by Inaam Nadeem.
Required changes in education reforms were at the forefront in ‘Are We Listening to Our Youth? Redesigning Learning for Tomorrow,’ with insights from Nadeem Ghani, Faisal Mushtaq, Myra Murad Khan, and Khadija Bakhtiar, moderated by Faisal Bari. Public-private partnerships in education and governance were highlighted in ‘From Emergency to Empowerment: Unlocking the Power of Public-Private Partnerships,’ featuring Shehzad Roy, Arshad Saeed Husain, Amin A Hashwani, Khadija Bakhtiar, and Shazia Kamal, moderated by Faisal Bari.
Cinema, Samaaj Aur Adab, brought Sarmad Khoosat into conversation with Asghar Nadeem Syed to discuss the relationship between the written word and the celluloid.
Poetry and literature remained at the heart of KLF 2025, with sessions such as ‘Voices by the Sea: English Verse,’ where poets including Minaa Shahzad, Salman Tarek Kureshi, Fatima Ijaz, Peerzada Salman, Moeen Faruqi, and Moosa Gardezi shared their verses under the moderation of Zarmina Raza. The global influence of English literature was examined in ‘Finding a Voice in World English Literature,’ featuring Taha Kehar and Shazaf Fatima Haider, moderated by Nusrat Khawaja.
‘Media and Youth Mental Health: Role of Organizational Leadership,’ featured Ayesha Mian, Azhar Abbas, Noor Ahmed, and Sajjad Syed, with Humair Yusuf as moderator, the session focused on the missing responsibility of media leadership in fostering mental well-being. Preservation of culture took center stage in ‘Hamari Saqafat Ke Naye Maymar,’ where panelists Ali Jan Balouch, Aisha Faisal, Shoaib Arshad, and Rani Abdul Qayyum, and Ghazal Ansari, discussed the need for established infrastructure for support.
KLF 2025 Day 2 featured 16 remarkable book launches spanning diverse genres and themes. The line-up included Mishal Husain’s ‘Broken Threads,’ exploring empire and independence, and Pervez Hoodbhoy’s thought-provoking ‘Pakistan: Origins, Identity, and Future’ Notable launches showcased works from poetry to personal narratives, including ‘Home: #It’s Complicated’ examining modern belonging, and ‘Dream Deutschland?’ exploring Pakistani diaspora experiences. The festival celebrated both contemporary voices and classical works like, ‘Three Tales from Gulistan-i-Saadi.’ From artistic exploration in ‘Interrogation of Amin Gulgee’ to women’s empowerment in ‘Born to Struggle,’ the launches reflected Pakistan’s rich literary landscape.
Urdu literature was celebrated in ‘Aaina Dekha Na Jaaye,’ featuring Kishwar Naheed, Shama Afroz, Aijaz Mangi, and Saabhiyan Sangi, moderated by Aqeel Abbas Jaffri. The legacy of renowned literary figures was revisited in ‘Aik Sadi Ka Qissa,’ focusing on Nasir Kazmi, Jameeluddin Aali, Intizar Husain, and others, with insights from Najeeba Arif and Mubeen Mirza, moderated by Irfan Javed.
This year, the launch of the ‘Youth Pavillion’ proved to be a vibrant hub of creativity, with the following sessions specifically designed for the youth of Pakistan; Heroes in Frames: Pakistani Icons Get a Graphic Makeover- in discussion with Zubeida Mustafa, Sheema Kermani and Sibtain Naqvi with Rumana Husain; Music and Dance with Atif Badar; Let’s play and learn with Syed Nusrat Ali; Unlock Your Creativity Theatre Games with Atif Badar; Kahaaniyon ka Mela with Amra Alam and Atif Badar; Nazm-Nasar ke Sung, With Fozia Ahsan Farooqui; and Poetry Readings with Atif Badar.
Entertainment and film discussions saw Karachi Comedians: Stage or Insta? With Ammar Zaidi, Ali Abdullah, Akbar Chaudry and Natalia Gul debating the evolving comedic landscape. The documentary genre was analyzed in Cinema Verité: Exploring Non-Fiction Films from Pakistan and Beyond, featuring Zakir Thaver, Haya Fatima Iqbal, and Samia Khan, with Ziad Zafar moderating.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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