ISLAMABAD: The second day of the 10th Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) was a resounding success, attended by scholars and students, authors and readers, interested in the array of engaging sessions under the theme, ‘Words Change Mindsets’.

Numerous book launches were juxtaposed with panel discussions, while film screenings and poetry captivated the audiences in the many halls of the Gandhara Citizens’ Club in Fatima Jinnah Park.

Of the many book launches, ‘Another Story of the Bad Woman’ by Kishwar Naheed brought together a compelling panel comprising of Kathy Gannon, Nadia Tahir, Arshad Waheed, Ilona Yusuf, and Safeer Awan, moderated by Asma Mansoor, to explore bold narratives challenging societal norms.

Kishwar Naheed was also part of the panel launching ‘Tareekh Ki Azeem Feminist Auratein’ by Naeem Mirza.

Other books that were part of the line-up for second day included, In the Shadows of Love by Awais Khan, What More Could She Possibly Want? by Ayesha Husain, Saat Janam by Shafqat Naghmi, Miltay Hain August Main by Inaam Nadeem, Mere Jinn Nikal Gaye by Hamid Ateeq Sarwar, Bhadoon by Madiha Arsalan, and Kahani Aik Nazm Ki by Safdar Rasheed.

The screening of the film, Umro Ayyar: A New Beginning, a cinematic adaptation of the classic folklore, attracted a packed hall. Beginning with a short conversation with Azfar Jafri the director, Usman Mukhtar who played Amar, Osama Karamat who played Shayan, and Asad Chaudhary who plays Safeer. Azfar Jafri shared the historical roots of Umro Ayyar who was originally found in the Persian folklore of Hamzanama or Dastan-e-Ameer Hamza, and for much of the audience was the protagonist of the short stories/booklets that were readily available through the 1980s. In the film, a descendant of Umro Ayyar, Amar, is a quantum mechanics professor in Pakistan by day and fantasy super hero by night.

Mushahid Hussain and Ikram Sehgal, in Pakistan Bangladesh Relations – A New Perspective, insisted on bridging the trust deficit between the two nations, “We need Bilateral relations with no visa or tariff – with the natural assertion of Muslim identity in Bangladesh, we have a renewed vigour. Ground realities have changed, and time is right to break the artificial barriers.”

Mushahid Hussain stated the importance of having bilateral relations with no visa and no tariff, and that some things are above politics, like sports. Youth engagement can help break the mental barriers. Ikram Sehgal observed that the Khalistan move is recognised internationally. Ground realities have changed and the time is right to break artificial barriers.

In Education Emergency: from Access to Quality, Baela Raza Jamil moderated a panel featuring Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, Arshad Saeed Husain, and Shahid Siddiqui. The discussion addressed the broader implications of Pakistan’s educational emergency, emphasizing that it extends beyond mere access to schooling. The panel highlighted challenges such as the large number of out-of-school children, undernutrition, climate change impacts, and the need for solutions that go beyond access to include quality and sustainability.

Mohyuddin Wani said, “A child has to be healthy to perform. Our education framework did not address the population burst and suffered, compromising equity, employability, and excellence across the board.” Arshad Saeed Husain emphasized the need for an updated curriculum, saying, “Education has to be relevant, and we must focus on upskilling to unlearn and relearn.”

Panelists explored actionable steps, including the responsibility of publishers to ensure the quality of educational content and the necessity of streamlining regulatory processes. They underscored the importance of making trained psychologists available in schools to support both students and teachers, as well as expanding digital mental health solutions. The session concluded with a powerful call for collective action: the educational emergency is not solely a governance issue but a national priority requiring partnerships between public and private sectors to drive meaningful change.

The evening Mushaira, presided over by Zehra Nigah and hosted by Mehboob Zafar, brought together Iftikhar Arif, Kishwar Naheed, Haleem Qureshi, Yasmeen Hameed, Naseer Ahmad Nasir, Tariq Naeem, Imdad Aakash, Akhtar Usman, Harris Khalique, Ahmad Hussain Mujahid, Nusrat Masood, Shakeel Jazib, Akhtar Raza Saleemi, Naheed Qamar, Fakhra Noreen, and Saeed Shariq, reciting beautifully crafted, evocative verses. The Punjabi Mushaira presided over by Anwar Masood and hosted by Aisha Masood, featured Sarwat Mohiuddin, Anjum Saleemi, Rana Saeed Doshi, Nida Maher, Hassan Abbas Raza, and Riffat Waheed.

The themes of artificial intelligence – strengths and weaknesses, human rights and empowerment, national security and Pakistan’s climate future, continued to emanate in the various panels while some sessions looked to the past as Fateh Muhammad Malik, in Iqbal ka Paigham Daur-e-Hazir ke Naam, lamented the loss of learnings that Iqbal had so brilliantly encased in his poetry, Walid Iqbal shared his grandfather’s letters and Iftikhar Arif paid tribute to departed scholars in Yaad-e-Raftagan, stating, “We wish to keep them living for us - their contributions are exemplary, but most significantly their identification with the Tarraqi Pasand Tehreek is responsible for some of the greatest jewels adorning our literary skies.”

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2024