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SUKKUR: Preventing extremism and introducing today’s students to quality and modern education is crucial for national progress, said Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP), Karachi, president Ahmed Shah on Wednesday at the concluding session of the two-day Pakistan Literature Festival Sukkur Chapter II.
Tens of thousands people from all walks of life attended the event concluded with a concert featuring Ali Azmat, Havi, Akhtar Chanal Zahri, Khudgharz Band, Arman Rahim, Mustafa Baloch and Gizri.
Organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP), Karachi, at Sukkur IBA University, the festival featured literary sessions, debates, discussions with literary and political personalities, poetry readings, musical programmes, book stalls, exhibitions of clothes and handicrafts reflecting Sindh culture — all of them captivated the audience’s attention.
Among the participants were Sukkur IBA University Vice Chancellor Asif Ahmed Shaikh, renowned writers, poets, singers, university students, and the general public of Sukkur.
PLF Sukkur Chapter II concludes
Speaking on the occasion, the ACP Karachi president expressed happiness over the enthusiasm of the youth on the occasion.
He said: “Children are the architects of our future. We will promote Sindh’s culture not only in Pakistan, but across the world. The people of Sukkur have given us a tremendous reception,” he said.
He stressed the need to increase the education budget, highlighting that over 10 million children in Sindh did not attend school, and those who attended were not receiving quality and modern education.
The festival included discussions on a wide range of topics, diverse and insightful sessions on education and its standards, historical heritage, artificial intelligence, global warming, Pakistani literature in the 21st Century, the role of art in society, role of traditional media in the digital era, future leaders in the digital age, Sindhi literature in the 21st Century, the future of employment for Sindh’s youth, changes in Pakistan’s global standing and the revival of Pakistan’s economy.
Part of the event were humour with Gul Mallah and Sohrab Soomro, tribute to artist Akash Ansari, conversations with YBQ (Yousuf Bashir Qureshi), Sultana Siddiqui and Suhail Warraich. Poets from cross the country recited their poetry in a mushaira held on the occasion.
Special discussions were held with Sukkur Mayor Arslan Islam Sheikh and Sukkur District Council Chairman Kumail Haider Shah.
One-on-one sessions were held with young poets Tehzeeb Hafi, Ali Zaryoun, Umair Najmi and Imran Aami, who were well received by the youth.
Different sessions
On the final day of the festival, a session titled “Pakistani Literature in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective” was held, featuring Ghazi Salahuddin, Dr Fatima Hassan and Ziaul Hassan, with Kashif Raza as moderator.
They said conversations with writers of different languages at the festivals had been very beneficial. “We learned their literature and they learned ours,” they added.
They said that in 1997, the number of well-known Pakistani writers writing in English increased from 40 to 86. That reflected a clear change and a new wave of English writers, as writing in English gave them international recognition.
They said: “It is our responsibility to tell the world that how great our literature is and how valuable our writers are.”
A session on the preservation of the heritage of Sukkur and Rohri and the challenges faced was held, featuring discussions by archaeologist and historian Dr Kaleemullah Lashari and Asma Ibrahim.
Dr Lashari said that since the cultural heritage of Sukkur, Rohri, Badin and Ghotki was similar, it was necessary to understand the area of Sukkur to understand its heritage.
The haphazard development of the city was affecting the heritage, and many historical monuments had been destroyed, he said.
Asma Ibrahim said t civilization had no importance without heritage and it was necessary to preserve the heritage for future generations.
The speakers concluded the session by saying that since the coming generation was aware of innovation and technology, people should play their role in promoting their culture and heritage through social media and other advanced platforms.
Global warming
On the second day, a session titled “Global Warming: The Impending Disaster” was held at the Sukkur IBA Auditorium.
Mahmood Nawaz Shah highlighted various causes of climate change, clarifying that the increase in temperature and air pollution was spreading respiratory diseases while water pollution was increasing diseases like dengue, cholera and typhoid.
He mentioned that in the last 60 years, two major diseases, HIV and Covid-19, were transmitted from animals to humans, which were linked to climatic and environmental factors.
Irshad Memon said environmental change was also having a profound impact on climate change and its effects could be clearly seen.
Mr Nawaz pointed out that it was due to severe temperatures and high humidity in summers that a suffocating environment was created while the severity of winters forced educational institutions to close, which was directly affecting the economy negatively.
Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2025
