SARGODHA: The third edition of Sargodha Literary Festival (SLF) spotlighting intellectual talks, interactive sessions, art and books exhibitions, film screening and theatre performances kicked off at University of Sargodha on Wednesday.

The event aimed at creating intellectual space for youth and inspiring them to take the ownership of their literary creativity.

Vice Chancellor Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad welcomed the guests while speaking at the opening ceremony.

Deputy Commissioner Sargodha Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh was the chief guest of the opening ceremony.

After the inaugural, the proceedings were followed by an interactive session titled ‘Politics, Media and Society’ moderated by distinguished security and political analyst Amir Rana and renowned civic educator Zafarullah Khan.

Columnist Yasir Pirzada and humorist Gull-e-Nokhaiz Akhtar were among the guest speakers who unraveled the role of media in strengthening political institutions and creating robust civic engagement.

An award-winning feature film “Art= (Love)2” a whirlwind story of love, death and closure, directed by Mumtaz Hussain was also screened for the first time in Sargodha at Shaheen Cinema. The show left the audience mesmerised with strong script and powerful acting.

Actor and director Usman Peerzada chaired a session ‘From Script to Screen: The Art of Creative Production’ while award-winning film director Mumtaz Hussain and Rashid Khawja participated as keynote speakers.

The speakers from entertainment industry shared their experiences to reveal the art of creative production from its conception of idea to final execution with an essential element of creativity.

As part of the festival, the Lincoln Corner Sargodha hosted a session chaired by Mian Ijazul Hassan on ‘Landscape of Punjab,’ during which Dr Rahat Masaud, Dr Naela Amir, and Nadeem Alam discussed the landscapes of Punjab.

A painting exhibition, portraying the scenic beauty of Punjab through canvasses of various painters across Punjab was also part of the festival. About 25 artists across Punjab showcased landscape through paintings.

A book festival with wide range of titles on special discount was also held at Jinnah Block. The exhibition unfolded books of more than 30 publishers.

A theatrical performance by the students of English department on Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ directed by Shahid Abbas and Sidra Sharif mesmerised the audience.

It merits mentioning that the SLF has become a tradition of the university where scholars, renowned authors, academics, literary enthusiasts, poets and performing artists shared their valuable insights and passion for art and literature, social science and various disciplines. It also provided a platform to the students to voice their views and interact with other professionals.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2020