Adab Festival Pakistan, saw its 8th edition in Karachi recently, bringing together a lineup of speakers, thinkers and artists for a full day of insightful discussions, performances and celebrations of Pakistan’s literary and cultural heritage.

The day started with an entertaining play by Khaled Anam of Grips Theatre, ‘Unfit Ball Hai Dunya Meray Agay’, that held universal appeal for children and adults alike. This was followed by a formal inauguration ceremony featuring speeches by Ameena Saiyid, Munis Abdullah, Shoaib Arshad, and Adab Festival partners. The coveted Adab Festival/Infaq Foundation Literary Awards for Urdu, Sindhi, and English literary works, recognizing the best in each language, came up next, with a special musical performance by Arieb Azhar adding a celebratory tone to the event.

The day had a range of thought-provoking sessions covering subjects ranging from Pakistan’s agricultural potential and cultural heritage to issues of social justice, feminism and education with Miftah Ismail in conversation with Omayr Aziz Saiyid on economics and governance; followed by a gripping talk on Jinnah’s Vision Revisited: Pakistan at 77. The next session of the day was on Science, Art, and Heritage: a life long journey, simultaneously a session on Nasr, Nazm, Aur Naya Daur.

Farooq Hasan, a close associate of the late Asif Farrukhi, in his session reflected on Asif Farrukhi’s student years, sparking discussions about the significance of student unions in Pakistan and their suppression over the years. This aligned with the festival’s overarching goal to foster intellectual dialogue and address critical societal issues​​.

A critical discussion on Growing Returns. Pakistan’s Agricultural Potential was held, focusing on sustainable development with panelists Syed Naved Husain, Faisal Jahangir Malik, Dr Abed Chaudhury and moderator Khurram Schehzad. A parallel session titled Book Talk: Aisha Sarwari’s Heart Tantrums: A Feminist’s Memoir on Misogyny and Marriage, featured author Aisha Sarwari in conversation with Maria Memon.

The “Educating Pakistan Success Stories and Best Practices” panel featured educators and activists Nasreen Iqbal, Anjum Halai, Muhammad Ali Shaikh, Muhammad Hassan Khan, and moderator Shoaib Arshad, followed by other sessions. The festival concluded with a satire performance by Anwar Maqsood, followed by a musical performance by Arieb Azhar.

The Adab Festival was co-founded by Ameena Saiyid and Asif Farrukhi as an annual literary event bringing together diverse voices celebrating Pakistan’s rich literary heritage. Ameena Saiyid said the festival was committed to promoting culture, literature, and intellectual dialogue, with plans to host multiple events in the future.