Daily Times

“The journey of the written word began in ancient Iraq, travelled through Egypt, the Indus Valley Civilisation and on to China and then to Europe. However, throughout this period, access to the written word remained restricted to priests, tribes and scholars. Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable type press in 15th century Germany made the written word accessible to the masses for making it possible to disseminate it further.” These were the words with which Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan began his Welcome Speech. It was a day of festivity in Karachi as the inaugural session of the 11th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) 2020 began under the clear blue sky of Karachi. Arshad Husain further said that by bringing together scholars, intellects, writers, artists and policymakers at the 11th KLF to engage in discussions over many issues, we are creating living examples of critical thinking.

An event as grand as the KLF needs no introduction or an outline. It is an event where thoughts are shared, ideas are discussed, visions are promoted and causes are streamlined. What began as an experiment eleven years ago has turned into an annual celebration of literature? It has turned into a platform where national policies are proposed and creativity in prose and poetry is disseminated for collective inspiration.

To make KLF an all-inclusive event, Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training viewed that similar literature festivals must be organized in Sukkur, Multan, Shikarpur and other cities of Pakistan. While talking about education, he said that Pakistan has three education systems in effect: government schools, private schools and madrasa. He revealed that under the National Curriculum Council, all three forms of education systems will follow the same curriculum from next year.

To make KLF an all-inclusive event, Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Federal Education & Professional Training viewed that similar literature festivals must be organised in Sukkur, Multan, Shikarpur and other cities of Pakistan. While talking about education, he said that Pakistan has three education systems in effect: government schools, private schools and madrasa

The Guest of Honor, Dr. Christian Turner, British High Commissioner to Pakistan mesmerized the audience by speaking in Urdu. He focused on three keywords during his speech. These were perceptions, connections and discourse. He said that there is a gap between external perceptions of Pakistan and reality. He shared that there is a need to maintain connections between Pakistan and the western work and that both Pakistan and the UK share a rich history. Moreover, he said that events such as the KLF celebrate ideas. While speaking at the occasion, Anna Ruffino, Consul General of Italy in Karachi said that KLF portrays a positive image of Pakistan. She said that the Pakistani people are hospitable and have a great archaeological heritage and history. The keynote speech by William Dalrymple was perhaps an eye-opener. He mentioned that his association with Pakistan dates back to the 1990s and since then he has visited the country several times. He said that literature is about the author and the reader where both perform their activities in solitude. He was of the view that the South Asian literature adds performance into it, therefore, making literary endeavours dynamic. He cited the example of how people in rural Sindh sing the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. He also discussed how stories have been a major part of the South Asian literate. He mentioned the example of Dastan-e-Amir Hamza and how its stories are still a classic in literature.

On the first day of the KLF 2020, an important panel discussion on Education in Pakistan: A Roller Coaster Ride was held. It included Shafqat Mahmood, Asad Ali Shah, Amjad Waheed, Shahnaz Wazir Ali and Shahid Siddiqui. It was moderated by Baela Raza Jamil. The panellists shared that the personnel or key decision-makers in the education department of Pakistan are not their permanently and work for their vested interests. The panellists also proposed for the creation of independent education organizations in each province comprising a combination of people from the government, bureaucracy and the private sector. When people who are interested in promoting and working for education the accountability for outcomes can be processed. Indeed, the KLF is an event that transcends cultural and political barriers. It is a moment when people in attendance and those speaking to them are concerned with the thoughts shared by the panellists and speakers. These panellists belonging to the public and the private sector share concepts, thoughts and concerns over several topics.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at omariftikhar@hotmail.com and Tweets at @omarifikhtar