Rewriting the record: honest, inclusive approach to Pakistan's past urged

"Let us say goodbye to distortions in history," said Professor Emeritus, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Dr Syed Wiqar Ali Shah, in his keynote address at the conference titled 'The State of History and Historiography in Pakistan.' The event, in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Pakistan Historical Society (PHS), was held at the University of Karachi (UoK).

The PHS - in collaboration with Hamdard Foundation Pakistan and the UoK's Department of History - aimed to reflect on how historical narratives have been shaped by power, ideology, and institutional control, the manner in which the discipline has evolved in the country, along with recommendations to aid historical writing, teaching, and accuracy.

In her welcome address, President of both the PHS and Hamdard Foundation, Saadia Rashid highlighted the importance of promoting historical study and fostering deeper understanding of the discipline at both local and international levels.

Keynote speaker Dr Shah traced the evolution of historical study and discussed how figures such as Homer, Thucydides, Socrates, and Ibn Khaldun contributed to the development of the field, which he described as "the study of the past to predict the future." The speaker mentioned that figures of antiquity, such as Khaldun, managed writing that presented information to succeeding generations, aiding their understanding of the world, as well as their preparedness regarding it.

Here, however, Shah stressed that history must be studied with nuance without ignoring individual realities. Highlighting the manner in which colonial powers ignored Orientalism to promote Western hegemony and homogeneity, Shah named the era the one in which South Asian history "suffered the most."

In this regard, speakers stressed the importance of objective and honest historiography, which they argued has been shaped by post-colonial powers and those of a divisive nature. Further, Shah noted that the country's educational curriculum makes use of material that promotes an "us versus them" dynamic, keeping students from learning about religions, regions, and systems different to their own. Speakers maintained that the state of historiography in Pakistan must, therefore, be promoted to one that fosters curiosity, learning, and enlightenment, over sheltering, prejudice, or misunderstanding.

Director at the Institute of Historical and Social Research, Professor Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed, underscored the need to promote and preserve the voices of who he termed the "absentees of history" - including women, minority communities, and marginalised regional individuals. He, along with the other speakers, highlighted the need to maintain these voices in literature and research through the removal of obstacles that may hinder them.