Daily Times

Sargodha Literary Festival wrapped up at Sargodha University on Thursday with a very large number of literati, book lovers and culture enthusiasts flocked to the Festival to learn more about the literary endeavours of national think tanks and to experience the cultural heritage from close quarters.

The festival presented incredible additions from the literary sphere through scholarly talks, interactive debate and discussions, artist talks, film screening, book fair, art exhibition and theatrical performances.

A large audience turned up to attend an interactive session ‘Sargodha Alumni: Sohail Warraich’ who is an eminent anchor and writer drew a lot of interest. Sohail Warraich shared his experiences as a student in the then Government College Sargodha and in the field of journalism as an anchor, political analyst and a writer. He appreciated the efforts of University administration for exposing students to good and wholesome literature in order to develop healthy minds and a healthy life. He expressed that mental toughness and hard work for specific goals are the keys to success. Your goal will keep you focused and do everything needed to achieve it, he added.

The day was started with an interesting talk with Khawaja Najam ul Hassan, renowned music producer shedding light on his contribution for producing legends in the music industry of Pakistan. The session ‘Tryst with Music: Celebrating the Life and Works of Khawaja Najam ul Hassan’ was moderated by Sheraz Haider, former deputy accountant general of Pakistan. The session paid rich tribute to an inspirational figure for budding artists, Khawaja Najam ul Hassan for making many stars and protecting their careers. The audience suggested that his experiences should be documented and passed on to the younger generation.

Another important panel discussion revealing the women empowerment was held on ‘Women Voice in Punjabi Literature’ in which experts in Punjabi Literature including Dr Saeed Bhutta, Shehzad Rafique, Neelam Ahmad and Dr Sughra Sadaf were the guest speakers while Dr Muhammad Munir was the moderator. The speakers discussed why woman has been conspicuously absent from our literary stage from tenth to nineteenth century. They urged to produce female dominating literature for women’s empowerment. The stunning theatrical performance on ‘George Orwell’s Animal Farm’ directed by Dr Shahid Abbas and Ms Yaseera Warraich in collaboration with the Dramatic Society of English Department charmed the audience.

As a part of this festival, an art exhibition held at Zubeida Agha Art Gallery under the theme ‘Soul of Indus Civilization’ featured the art of well-known artist Mumtaz Hussain. Series of paintings exhibited the historical roots of the Indus Valley Civilization. The institute of Art and Design also organized a photo exhibition titled ‘Pegs and Paggers’ showcasing the sport of cavaliers through lens of camera, captured by photographers.