The 14th Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) concluded on Sunday at the Lahore Arts Council (Alhamra), highlighting Lahore’s continued role as a hub of literature, ideas, and cultural dialogue.
The final day began with the launch of the book “The Hour of the Wolf: What It Means to Survive History and to Write Honestly from Its Shadows” by Fatima Bhutto, who discussed history, memory, and the ethical responsibility of writers.
Multiple sessions were held across Alhamra’s halls, covering topics such as women’s rights, law, dissent, cultural heritage, history, translation, fiction, and biography. A key session, “Rights on Trial: Women, Law, and the Price of Dissent,” featured representatives from the Women’s Action Forum, advocate Asma Hamid, and Reema Omer from the International Commission of Jurists.
Other notable sessions included “Perin’s Passion,” “Ghosts of the Empire,” and “Art Everlasting,” featuring authors and thinkers like Deepa Mehta, Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, and Geoff Dyer. Sessions on history, heritage preservation, South Asian literature, and global fiction further enriched the festival.
A special discussion on poet John Elia highlighted the social and intellectual relevance of his work. Critics and poets, including Nasir Abbas Nayyar, Fatima Hassan, and Shaista Hassan, highlighted how John Elia’s poetry challenges social stagnation and continues to resonate globally.
The festival also featured sessions on translation, Partition, storytelling, fiction, and identity debates, bringing together historians, authors, architects, diplomats, and scholars from Pakistan and abroad.
The 14th Lahore Literary Festival reaffirmed Lahore’s identity as a city of literature, fostering dialogue, critical inquiry, and cultural exchange, and strengthening the role of literature in shaping society and thought.
Climate minister stresses need to check ingress into river systems
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Masood Malik has said that carbon emission is causing melting of glaciers, rising of temperature and floods.
In his key note address on ‘Living with Floods in Climate Change’ at a local hotel on Sunday, he said, “Forty million people have been displaced due to four floods, out of which 50 per cent are children of school-going age.” He said that 20 million children could not attend school because of this displacement. He stated that the country’s GDP grows at a rate of 3 to 4 per cent, but a flood in the past alone caused losses equal to 9.8 per cent of the country’s GDP, wiping out years of economic progress.
He said, “Two countries on our border emit 40 per cent of the world’s carbon, whereas Pakistan emits less than one per cent.”
He stated that 10 countries emitting nearly 75 per cent of the world’s carbon were receiving 85 per cent of global green financing. The minister stressed that taking loans was not a solution to climate-related challenges. He said, “As part of our short-term strategy, whatever has been damaged by floods is being repaired within 300 days.” He added that existing infrastructure would be expanded over a period of one to three years.
The minister said that as part of the long-term strategy, dams could be constructed. He underscored the need to check ingress into river systems. He said that the country’s youth was well-versed in climate science, technology, and creative business models, adding, “Children will come up with ideas, and we will raise capital for them.”
He said Green Field Programme initiative was designed to empower youth, foster innovation, and drive the country’s transition toward a green economy. He said, “The programme provides a platform for young entrepreneurs to pitch climate-focused business ideas.”