SUKKUR: Two-day ‘Pakistan Literature Festival’ got under way at IBA University Sukkur on Saturday.

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar inaugurated the festival, which was organised by Art Council of Pakistan (ACP), Sukkur, in collaboration with ACP Karachi and IBA University Sukkur.

The chief minister said in his opening remarks that having a literary festival in Sukkur was a welcome change for intellectual and cultural activities in the city.

The festival began with national anthem and condemnation of targeted-killing of journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar and IBA professor Dr Ajmal Sawand. The organisers and guests expressed grief over the death of IBA founder Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui and observed a minute’s silence in the memory of Fatima Furiro, who was killed in a pir’s mansion in Ranipur, and Israeli aggression in Gaza.

Several stalls of books, garments and other items including delicious food dishes were centre of visitors’ attention. Holding such a festival was a proof of strong and resilient spirit of the nation, said the chief minister.

“Culture and literature act as a bridge for our national identity and organisations like ACPs play an indispensable role in bringing many cultures together,” he said.

Karachi ACP was working tirelessly to highlight and preserve the heritage and their determination to promote creativity and intellectual discourse was unparalleled, he said.

He said that the holding of the festival in Sukkur was a good step towards the promotion of intellectual and cultural activities as divergent ideas, imaginations and voices were harmonised in such events.

Karachi ACP President Muhammad Ahmad Shah said that he focused on making the youth aware of their culture. “Culture and literature can bring about unity among disparate sections of society,” he said, adding, dance was not obscenity but a breath of fresh air for society.

IBA University Sukkur’s vice chancellor Dr Asif Ahmed Sheikh said that Oct 28 and 29 would be memorable days in the history of the city. “I congratulate the entire team of Karachi ACP for organising such a beautiful event,” he said.

Naseer Ahmed Memon said in his keynote speech that he was happy to see everyone at Pakistan Literature Festival. “We have to pave the way for our economy and youth to take off, if we want our Sindh to develop, we need to connect with Sindh,” he said.

“Some people try to spread riots on the basis of religion and language, we have to defeat them together,” said Dr Jafar Ahmad, adding “I feel very happy when I see girls reading Sindhi.”

He said that there were many girls who faced restrictions on studying even in this age. “If these restrictions are removed today our girls can also play an important role in the development of the country,” he said.

The festival’s opening ceremony was also attended by Noorul Huda Shah, Manwar Saeed, Kishwar Naheed, journalists Mazhar Abbas, Ghazi Salahuddin, District Council chairman Syed Kamil Haider Shah, Sukkur ACP President Mumtaz Bukhari, Qazi Abdul Wahid, Mustafa Qureshi, Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Islam Sheikh, prominent scholars, writers and poets.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2023