A nice little crowd started gathering at the festival venue from early morning. Though it couldn’t match the KLF crowds of earlier years when one could not find a place to sit even if they were late by five minutes, it was still clear that all those who came were very much interested and engrossed in the sessions that they were attending after carefully studying the festival’s programme that they had picked up from the front desk.

The first session of the day, Pakistani Siyasat Aur Samaaj: Khwateen Ka Kirdar, pulled a large number of women. The panelists retired Justice Nasira Iqbal, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Noorul Huda Shah and Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, in conversation with Nasira Zuberi, highlighted the important role women have played throughout the country’s history and regretted how so many have been held back by patriarchal restrictions, tribal holdovers and reactionary traditions. They also talked about women’s contribution to Pakistani society and politics, and the changing role of art in contemporary society.

Meanwhile, a mix of renowned sculptors and writers, art exhibition curators, and creative technologists including Durriya Kazi, Nusrat Khawaja, Tazeen Hussain, Faisal Anwar and Yasir Hussain spoke with Niilofur Farrukh as they examined how technology is shaping contemporary art. They also looked at how developments in social media were expanding the reach and impact of art.

Another entertaining session was a talk by renowned English author Hanif Kureishi, who showed up in shorts and a t-shirt to speak about the growing trend of moral policing in literature.

The second day came to a close with a mushaira and a film screening of the Pakistani film on the topic of the separation of East Pakistan titled Khel Khel Main.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2022