KLF ends with call to amplify voices rooted in local culture

The 16th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) concluded on Sunday with a call to amplify "narratives from the soil," by promoting voices rooted in the country's cultural and literary landscape. The festival brought together authors, literati, intellectuals, and artists for gripping discussions on literature, society, governance, and the arts.

Urban development took centre stage in "Urban Dialogue: The Karachi Katchehri," where Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Mansoor Raza, and Bilal Hassan spoke about the city's governance and infrastructure challenges.

Global and national issues triggered interesting conversations, such as "Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations: A Reset" with Ikram Sehgal and Salma Malik, and "Pakistan's Population: Time Bomb or Dividend?" where Azra Fazal Pechuho, Lubna Naz, Rehana Ahmed, and Khalid Masud discussed demographic challenges.

Sustainability was a focus in "Integrating Impact and Sustainability into Business, Investment, and Life," featuring Martin Dawson, Maya Inayat Ismail, and Qasim Ali Shah. Meanwhile, the evolution of media was explored in "Have Electronic & Social Media Eroded the Quality of Political Debate?" with Azhar Abbas, Amber Rahim Shamsi, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh, and Faisal Subzwari.

Kamila Shamsie reflected on her writing journey in "Weaving Worlds with Words." The festival also paid tribute to literary figures in "Ode to Our Fathers," where Saba Hamid and Tazeen Hussain remembered Hameed Akhtar and Talat Hussain.
The intersection of literature and television was examined in "Chhoti Screen ki Bari Fatoohaat," featuring Noorul Huda Shah, Saba Hamid, Nadeem Baig, and Sarmad Khoosat. 

Urdu literature was celebrated in "Urdu ki Taza Bastiaan," with Iftikhar Arif, and Harris Khalique. Poetry lovers enjoyed "Kuchh Ghazalain, Kuchh Nazmain," featuring Moazzam Ali Khan and Maya Khan, while "Karachi: Kahaaniaan aur Nazmain" explored the city's literary heritage with Raja Shehzad, Sajjad Ahmed, and Afzal Ahmad Syed.

Sindhi Sufi poetry was honoured in "Sachal, Sami, Lateef," featuring Jami Chandio and Madad Ali Sindhi, moderated by Sher Muhammad Mehrani. Young poets took the spotlight in "Shaairi ke Rung, Jawanon ke Sung," led by Ambareen Hasib Ambar and Abdul Rehman Momin, featuring Ali Zaryoun, Umair Najmi, Dilawar Ali Aazar, and others.

Crime fiction was explored in "Crime Fiction and the Pursuit of Justice," featuring Omar Shahid Hamid in conversation with Tooba Masood-Khan. Literature's role in environmental justice was the focus of "From Chapters to Change," with Uzma Aslam Khan, Tariq Alexander Qaisar, and Saba Pirzadeh.

The rise of Urdu rap was also highlighted in "Emergence of Urdu Rap in Pakistan," featuring Arshad Mahmud, Babar Mangi, and Ash Rohan.

Education reform was discussed in "Call to Action: Transforming Education in Pakistan," featuring Farid Panjwani, Shahid Siddiqui, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Faisal Mushtaq, and Myra Murad Khan. "New Directions in Teaching and Teacher Education" featured Anjum Halai, Mohammad Ali Shaikh, Salma Alam, and Khadija Bakhtiar.

Technology's impact on learning was explored in "The Role of AI in Step-Changing Educational Outcomes in Pakistan," with Salma Alam, Hammad Malik, and Zeeshan Hassan.

The Youth Pavilion hosted interactive sessions, including theatre games with Atif Badar, mind puzzles with Amna Ghulam Hussain, music and dance with Atif Badar, and storytelling by Aunty Tashi. A revival of classic children's songs took place in "Geeton ki Mehfil: Sohail Rana's Famous Songs."

KLF launched 14 books, including Poems: On Being Human, In the New Century: An Anthology of Pakistani Literature in English, Of Reason, Romance and Ruin: A Conceptual History of the 'Pakistan Ideology', and the Urdu translation of Han Kang's The Vegetarian.

Other titles included Soliloquies? Existing on Earth, A Woman on a Suitcase, Akbar in Wonderland, No Funeral for Nazia, Coining A Wishing Tower, Kulyaat-e-Ahmed Faraz, and Forgotten Images - Postcards of Pre-Pakistan 1890-1947.

A special launch of Journey Through Chaos featured a panel discussion with Saeed Ghani, Mazhar Abbas, Mushahid Hussain Syed, and Wusatullah Khan.

The closing ceremony featured former senator Khushbakht Shujaat and journalist Mishal Husain. Khushbakht called for greater public-private partnerships to sustain such events, stating, "Karachi needs to empower such platforms for true democratic principles to strengthen."