Daily Times

Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2018 was held last weekend at Alhamra Arts Centre, Mall Road, Lahore. Discussion sessions over a wide range of topics had been arranged for the public at large and to which people responded enthusiastically through their attendance and participation. Like every year, since it has started, I visited the festival as usual with some of my fellows and, in this op-ed, I would like to share how I perceive LLF not only as a festival, rather I think it has been doing an extraordinary job of introducing Pakistan to the outside world and people within in an inclusive way by highlighting its white, black and grey areas.

LLF has been doing an extraordinary job of introducing Pakistan to the outside world and people within

Unfortunately, for those who are outside, Pakistan is a country that is entangled in a quagmire and keeping in view the government’s reactionary approach to the resolution of burning issues like extremism and diplomatic failures in international issues, it seems like Pakistan has entered a blind alley from which it can hardly make its way out. A cursory look at the reporting being done on a daily basis in different newspapers about issues that the government has been dealing with can impress upon anyone across the border about the preferences of the government and how they are off the track. To the outside world, off course, the way we are being represented by those in power, who have no in-depth understanding of Pakistan’s critical issues as is reflective from their reactionary policies to same nagging issues of Pakistan time and again, it will not be wrong to say if they perceive us complacent in the mess we are in. Through the reactionary approach of the government, Pakistan can hardly get rid of issues like extremism not only within but also from the international tags vis-à-vis attached to us.

LLF, in this sense, has been doing a tremendous job. Because of its international nature, as writers from across the world come up with their writings, and bringing into the spotlight the sore points of Pakistani society in panel discussions, it has been promoting a soft outlook of Pakistan. LLF has been promoting a pluralistic and proactive outlook of Pakistan. In the current LLF, where on the one hand there were sessions arranged about serious issues including extremism with international panelists where the issue was analysed in no holds barred style and somehow message was conveyed to the world at large that Pakistan was committed in its fight against extremism and was very clear about the loopholes in its own policies, there on the other hand plethora of sessions had been organized to impress upon the audience the rich cultural history of Pakistan.

LLF, apart from introducing authors from different parts of the world, has been doing one other wonderful thing and this is something that I observed this year. LLF has now started to expand its scope, and it has begun to cover writings of authors from different provinces in Pakistan. This year, LLF had arranged a session on Ghani Khan who is a famous Pashto poet. This is exciting development as it will help people living in Pakistan know about the rich cultural history of different provinces. Unfortunately, people in different areas of Pakistan have no clear idea about the cultural beauty of the provinces.

I think that not only the LLF’s scope should be expanded, it should also be held many times a year. Moreover, such type of festivals should be held across Pakistan in different cities as these festivals have not only a significant role in creating national unity, but also these festivals also promote a pluralistic outlook of Pakistan.

The writer is an MPhil scholar studying International Relations at Department of Political Science in University of the Punjab, Lahore. He can be reached at uinam39@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, February 28^th 2018.