KARACHI, March 23: Like more than a dozen international mushairas before it, the one held on Wednesday was a family affair for thousands of Karachiites who attended it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of families flocked to National Stadium -— complete with pillows, tiffin boxes, thermoses and sheets -— and either sat on the ground directly in front of the dais or lounged on chairs a short distance away. The event, it seemed, was a pleasant night out for most of them.

To make their visit to the venue as pleasant as possible, the organisers had allowed a number of vendors to set up stalls. Because more than 8,000 enthusiasts attended the event, these stalls, and the pathways leading up to them, remained crowded throughout the duration of the mushaira.

There was at least one paan-and-cigarette stall there. Similarly, there was at least a bookstall. The rest of them sold food, drink or both.

Even though men and boys were in a majority, a good number of ladies and girls were in attendance too. And the audience had a healthy number of teenagers and children, which only showed that literature knows no boundaries.