HOUSTON: The third Pakistan Literature Festival, a two-day event organised by the International Academy of Letters USA, concluded on November 1 in Sugar Land and Stafford, in the Houston area of the US state of Texas.
Held on October 31 and November 1, the festival brought together writers, poets, journalists, intellectuals and artists from Pakistan, the United States and Canada. Discussions covered Urdu language and literature, Pakistani culture, journalism, cinema, television drama, the identity of the younger generation, social issues and challenges facing Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, was unable to attend in person because of official commitments but addressed the gathering through a video message. Pakistan’s Consul General in Houston, Aftab Chaudhry, also spoke at the event, which was attended by Canadian parliamentarian Sameer Zuberi.
The festival was organised by Ghazanfar Hashmi, president of the International Academy of Letters USA, who welcomed the participants.
The opening day began at the Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Sugar Land with an inaugural ceremony, followed by panel discussions.
A discussion titled “Women’s Voices in Urdu Literature” featured Professor Tahira Naqvi, Ishrat Afreen, Dr Saima Iram, Mona Shahab, Bina Goindi and Tasneem Abidi. Nasira Zuberi moderated the session.
Another discussion, “Two Cultures, Two Generations: New Concepts of Leadership”, included Dr Mohsin Ansari, Canadian MP Sameer Zuberi, Dr Imran Sharif, Siraj Narsi, Maria Kari and Umar Khawaja. Ibrahim Javed moderated the panel.
Mental health, its challenges and possible solutions were discussed by Nasruddin Rupani, Dr Asim Shah, Dr Mohsin Ansari, Mahtab Muradi, Nusrat Haris and Asif Sinan. Mazhar Khawaja moderated the discussion, while Naveeda Hashmi delivered the opening remarks.
A panel on the past and present of Pakistani cinema and television drama featured Shahab Zuberi, Nilofar Abbasi, Noor Naghmi, Adil Murad, Kamran Ali Asdar and Yasir Raza. Najia Ashar moderated the discussion.
The day’s cultural programme also included “Sham-e-Ishq” (An Evening of Love), featuring Sufi music performances by Hasnain Javed and Asif Sinan.
On November 1, the programme moved to the Tuscany Ballroom at the Spark by Hilton in Stafford, where literary and intellectual discussions continued.
A panel titled “Iqbal: A Poet for Every Age” featured Dr Muhammad Naeem Virk, Dr Saima Iram, Atif Tauqeer, Pervez Jafri and other scholars.
The discussion “Pakistani Media: Truth and Responsibility” brought together journalists Shahab Zuberi, Raza Rumi, Ashraf Shad, Fazil Jamili, Faisal Aziz Khan and Khurram Shahzad. Yousuf Chaudhry delivered the opening remarks, while Ghazanfar Hashmi moderated. The panellists discussed journalistic responsibilities, challenges facing the news media and changes in the media landscape.
Another discussion, “Reimagining Pakistan’s Future: Challenges and Opportunities”, featured Shabbar Zaidi, with Ghazanfar Hashmi and Nasira Zuberi as moderators.
The programme also included activities related to books, fine arts and Pakistan’s cultural heritage.
The closing ceremony was followed by an international mushaira, a traditional Urdu poetry gathering, presided over by Khawaja Razi Haider and hosted by Mehboob Zafar. Several poets recited their work.
The festival offered members of the Pakistani diaspora a platform to exchange ideas on literature, language, culture and contemporary issues.Â
As the two-day gathering drew to a close, a key message emerging from the discussions was the need to pass on the connection to the Urdu language and literature to the next generation and strengthen intellectual and cultural ties.
