About Karachi Literature Festival

Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), the first and by far the foremost literature festival in the country, needs no introduction. It has become an integral part of the social and intellectual calendar of this city and, indeed, of the country.

16th KLF Speakers

16th KLF Programme

  • Day 1

    Feb 7, 2025

  • Day 2

    Feb 8, 2025

  • Day 3

    Feb 9, 2025

  • Main Garden
  • Jasmine Hall
  • Aquarius Hall
  • Room 007
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Main Garden

Arrival of Guests

4.00 p.m. - 4.45 p.m.
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Main Garden

Welcome Speech by the Festival Organizer: Arshad Saeed Husain

Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan
5.00 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

SPEECHES by the GUESTS OF HONOUR: HE Nicolas Galey

Ambassador of France to Islamic Republic of Pakistan
5.15 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

Scott Urbom

US Consul General, Karachi
5.20 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

Martin Dawson

Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission, Karachi
5.25 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

REMARKS BY SPONSOR: Ali Habib

Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, HBL
5.30 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

KEYNOTE SPEECH by F.S. Aijazuddin OBE

Art-historian and author
5.35 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

KEYNOTE SPEECH by Asghar Nadeem Syed

Playwright, writer and poet
5.50 p.m. - -
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Main Garden

BOOK AWARDS

KLF-Getz Pharma English Fiction Prize; KLF-Getz Pharma Urdu Prose and Poetry Prize; KLF-The Little Book Company Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Books in: Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi, and Pashto languages
- - -

PERFORMANCE: Kathak aur Kathakar presented by Mohsin Babar Productions

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Main Garden

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

- - -
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Main Garden

Bapsi Sidhwa: A Literary Legacy inspiring Future Voices

Kamila Shamsie, Uzma Aslam Khan, Saba Pirzadeh
7.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Moderator : Framji Minwalla
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Jasmine Hall

Dialogue: Pakistan’s Economy & Business Climate - Is Pakistan Ready for a Turnaround?

Arif Habib, Miftah Ismail, Khurram Schehzad, Amjad Waheed, Khurram Hussain
7.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Moderator : Azfar Ahsan
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Aquarius Hall

Book Launch:لو ہم نے دامن جھاڑ دیا by Ashfaq Hussain

Iftikhar Arif, Najeeba Arif, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Syed Kashif Raza, Ashfaq Hussain
7.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Moderator : Ambareen Haseeb Amber
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Room 007

Manzar: Art & Architecture from Pakistan-1940s to Today

H.M. Naqvi, Marvi Mazhar, Kiran Ahmad
7.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Moderator : Zarmeene Shah
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Main Garden

Film Screening: In Flames

8.15 p.m. - -
  • Main Garden
  • Jasmine Hall
  • Aquarius Hall
  • Room 007
  • Society Suite
  • Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion
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Jasmine Hall

Media and Youth Mental Health: Role of Organizational Leadership

Ayesha Mian, Azhar Abbas, Noor Ahmed, Sajjad Syed
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
Moderator : Humair Yusuf
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Aquarius Hall

Hamari Saqafat Kay Naye Maymar ہماری شفق کے نئے معمار

Ali Jan Balouch, Aisha Faisal, Shoaib Arshad, Rani Abdul Qayyum
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
Moderator : Ghazal Ansari
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Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Unlock Your Creativity

Theatre Games with Atif Badar
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
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Main Garden

Creating Resilience through Climate Change Education

Sherry Rehman and Ambreena Ahmed
12.00 p.m. - 1.00 p.m.
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Jasmine Hall

کاغذ کی مہک ر وٹھنے کو ہے: کتاب سے ای بک تک کا سفر

Mubeen Mirza, Hoori Noorani, Iqbal Khursheed, Maniza Naqvi
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
Moderator : Inaam Nadeem
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Aquarius Hall

Book Launch: Home: # its complicated by Saba Karim Khan

Junaid Zuberi, Omar Shahid Hamid, Khaled Anam, Farrukh Karim, Amber Zaffar Khan
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
Moderator : Saba Karim Khan
* *

Room 007

Book Launch: Legal System of Pakistan by Hamid Khan

Hamid Khan and Faisal Siddiqui
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
Moderator : Salahuddin Ahmed
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Society Suite

Book Launch: Caring for the Carer by Zamena Hassan

Zamena Hassan and Jaseem Siddiqui
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
Moderator : Humair Yusuf
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Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Let's play and learn with Syed Nusrat Ali

12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
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Main Garden

A Journey of Friendship and Political Activism

Sherry Rehman and Victoria Schofield in conversation
1.00 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
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Jasmine Hall

Book Discussion: Three Tales from Gulistan-i-Saadi, ed by Zarminae Ansari

Bari Mian, Zarminae Ansari
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Moderator : Junaid Zuberi
* *

Aquarius Hall

Book Launch: Dream DeutschLand?

Abeer Kasiri and Ayesha Tariq
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Moderator : Rumana Husain
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Room 007

Book Launch: Coming of Age by Salman Tariq Kureshi

Salman Tariq Kureshi, Amberina Kazi, Sheema Kermani, Zarmina Raza
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Moderator : Hoori Noorani
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Society Suite

Book Launch: تمناوں کے دیار سے شمالی امریکہ کی خواتین شعرا کی نظمیں انتخاب و ترجمہ زینت حسام

Zeenat Hisam and Shahida Hassan
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Moderator : Ghazi Salahuddin
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Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Music and Dance with Atif Badar

1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
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Main Garden

A Literary Bond

Muneeza Shamsie and Kamila Shamsie in conversation about their writing and the influence of family stories
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
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Jasmine Hall

Book Launch: Pakistan: Origins, Identity, and Future by Pervez Hoodbhoy

Pervez Hoodbhoy, Nadeem Farooq Paracha
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Shehzad Ghias Shaikh
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Aquarius Hall

Are we listening to our Youth?: Redesigning Learning for Tomorrow

Nadeem Ghani, Faisal Mushtaq, Myra Murad Khan, Khadija Bakhtiar
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Faisal Bari
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Room 007

Voices by the Sea: English Verse

Minaa Shahzad, Salman Tarek Kureshi, Adrian Husain, Fatima Ijaz, Peerzada Salman, Moeen Faruqi, Moosa Gardezi
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Zarmina Raza
* *

Society Suite

Finding a Voice in World English Literature

Taha Kehar and Shazaf Fatima Haider
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Nusrat Khwaja
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Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Heroes in Frames: Pakistani Icons Get a Graphic Makeover

A session on the Graphic Novel series with Zubaida Mustafa Sheema Kermani and Sibtain Naqvi
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Rumana Husain
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Main Garden

Book Launch: معین اختر:ون مین شو

Anwar Maqsood, Zeba Shahnaz, Faisal Qazi, Ghazal Ansari
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Sharjeel Akhtar
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Jasmine Hall

We the People: Our Constitution and the Rule of Law

Raza Rabbani, Abid Zuberi, Sara Malkani, Salahuddin Ahmed, Zameer Ghumro
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Ayesha Tammy Haq
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Aquarius Hall

Across the Decade: Discovering New Dimensions, New Histories

Kamila Shamsie, Maniza Naqvi, Omar Shahid Hamid
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Saba Karim Khan
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Room 007

From Learning to Leading: Climate Education and Advocacy

Afia Salam, Syeda Rinam Fatima, Athar Usama, Tabinda Jabeen
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Maha Husain
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Society Suite

Book Launch: آئینہ: دیکھا نہ جائے از کشور ناہید

Kishwar Naheed, Shama Afroz, Aijaz Mangi, Saabhiyan Sangi
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Aqeel Abbas Jaffri
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

کہانیوں کا میلہ عامرہ عالم اور عاطف بدر کے ساتھ

3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
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Main Garden

Book Launch: Broken Threads: My Family From Empire To Independence by Mishal Husain

Mishal Husain in conversation with Muneeza Shamsie
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
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Jasmine Hall

ایک صدی کا قصہ : ناصر کاظمی ،جمیل الدین عالی، انتظار حسین

Iftikhar Arif, Najeeba Arif, Mubeen Mirza
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Irfan Javed
* *

Aquarius Hall

From Emergency to Empowerent: Unlocking the Power of Public-Private Partnerships

Sardar Shah, Arshad Saeed Husain, Amin A. Hashwani, Shehzad Roy, Khadija Bakhtiar, Shazia Kamal
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Faisal Bari
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Room 007

Book Launch : کراچی پریس کلب

The Island of Truth by Ashraf Shad; Fazil Jamili, Raza Rabbani, Ashraf Shad, Shahnaz Ahad
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Mujahid Barelvi
* *

Society Suite

Book Launch: Born to Struggle by Arjumand Wajid

Arjumand Wajid, Zobaida Jalal, Sara Wajid
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Victoria Schofield
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

نظم و نثرکے رنگ، پتلیوں کے سنگ!

With Fozia Ahsan Farooqui
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
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Main Garden

Karachi Comedians: Stage or Insta?

Ammar Zaidi, Ali Abdullah, Akbar Chaudry, Natalia Gul
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
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Jasmine Hall

Cinema Verité: Exploring Non-Fiction Films from Pakistan and Beyond

Zakir Thaver, Haya Fatima Iqbal, Samia Khan, Mai Masri
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Moderator : Ziad Zafar
* *

Aquarius Hall

Book Launch: میرے جن نکل گئے: غیر سنجیدہ شاعری از حامِد عتیق سرور

Faisal Subzwari and Hamid Ateeq Sarwar
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Moderator : Sharif Awan
* *

Aquarius Hall

Book Launch: آسماں در آسماں از شاہد صدیقی

Shahid Siddiqui in conversation with Nasira Zuberi
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
* *

Room 007

Interrogation of Amin Gulgee: No Man’s Land

Amin Guljee in conversation with Sara Pagganwalla and Adam Fahy-Majeed
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Book Launch: Marni Khan and the Ancient Silk Route

The Epic Story of a Pakistani Energy Warrior by Saniya Chugtai followed by Storytelling
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Moderator : Khurram Koraishy
* *

Main Garden

مشاعرہ

Sadarat: Iftikhar Arif - Nizamat: Faisal Subzwari
7.15 p.m. - 8.15 p.m.

Pirzada Qasim, Sabir Zafar, Ashfaq Hussain, Shahida Hassan, Najma Usman, Mehboob Zafar, Nasira Zuberi, Harris Khalique, Inaam Nadeem, Shabbir Nazish, Peerzada Salman, Salman Sarwat - Sponsored by Dawlance

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Jasmine Hall

سینما، سماج اور ادب

Sarmad Khoosat in conversation with Asghar Nadeem Syed
7.15 p.m. - 8.15 p.m.
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Aquarius Hall

Thomas Mann's "Dr Faustus" by Grips Theatre Khaled Anam

7.15 p.m. - 8.15 p.m.
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Room 007

A Tribute to the Masters: Sitar aur Gayeki by Suhel Rais Khan

Introduction by: Malahat Awan
7.15 p.m. - 8.15 p.m.

Sponsored by Tehzeeb Foundation

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Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Poetry Readings with Atif Badar

7.15 p.m. - 8.15 p.m.
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Main Garden

Feature Film Screening: Nayab

8.45 p.m. - 11.30 p.m.
  • Main Garden
  • Jasmine Hall
  • Aquarius Hall
  • Room 007
  • Society Suite
  • Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion
* *

Main Garden

Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations: A Reset

Ikram Majeed Sehgal and Mushahid Hussain Syed
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
Moderator : Salma Malik
* *

Jasmine Hall

Pakistan's Population: Time Bomb or Dividend?

Lubna Naz, Azra Fazal Pechuho, Rehana Ahmed, Khalid Masud
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
Moderator : Naeem Sadiq
* *

Aquarius Hall

Integrating Impact & Sustainability into Business, Investment, and Life

11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
Martin Dawson, Maya Inayat Ismail, Qasim Ali Shah
Moderator : Ali Habib

Sponsored by HBL

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Room 007

Book Launch: Poems: On Being Human by Ghazala Alam

Ghazala Alam in conversation with Amra Alam
11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
Moderator : Nusrat Ali
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Theatre Fun and Games with Atif Badar

11.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon
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Main Garden

اردو کی تازہ بستیاں

Iftikhar Arif, Harris Khalique, Ashfaq Hussain
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
Moderator : Zarminae Ansari
* *

Jasmine Hall

Have Electronic & Social Media eroded the quality of Political Debate?

Azhar Abbas, Faisal Subzwari, Amber Rahim Shamsi, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
Moderator : Nadeem Farooq Paracha
* *

Aquarius Hall

Crime Fiction and the Pursuit of Justice

Omar Shahid Hamid in conversation with Tooba Masood-Khan
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
* *

Room 007

Book Discussion: In the New Century: An Anthology of Pakistani Literature in English Compiled & Edited by Muneeza Shamsie

Muneeza Shamsie in conversation with Syra Vahidy and Ghazi Salahuddin
12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Mind Twisters: The Thinking Zone with Amna Ghulam Hussain

12.15 p.m. - 1.15 p.m.
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Main Garden

Book Launch: Of Reason, Romance and Ruin: A Conceptual History of the 'Pakistan Ideology' by Nadeem Farooq Paracha

Nadeem Farooq Paracha in conversation with Khurram Qureshi
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
* *

Jasmine Hall

Book Launch: شاکاہاری مترجم اسماء حسین Urdu Translation of 2024 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner Han Kang's Novel The Vegetarian

Najeeba Arif and Tanveer Anjum
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Moderator : Syed Kashif Raza
* *

Aquarius Hall

Book Launch: Soliloquies? Existing on Earth: In Verse by

by Tariq Alexander Qaiser; Tariq Alexander Qaiser in conversation with Ayesha Tammy Haq
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
* *

Room 007

Book Launch: A Woman on a Suitcase by Shazaf Fatima Haider

Shazaf Fatima Haider in conversation with Taha Kehar
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
* *

Society Suite

Book Launch: Akbar in Wonderland by Umber Khairi

Umber Khairi in conversation with Maheen Usmani
1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Music and Dance with Atif Badar

1.30 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
* *

Main Garden

Urban Dialogues: Karachi Katchehri

Murtaza Wahab, Mansoor Raza, Bilal Hassan
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Mahim Maher
* *

Jasmine Hall

Kuch Ghazlain Kuch Nazmein

Moazzam Ali Khan Ki Zubani
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Maya Khan
* *

Aquarius Hall

Call to Action: Transforming Education in Pakistan

Farid Panjwani, Shahid Siddiqui, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Faisal Mushtaq, Myra Murad Khan
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Faisal Bari
* *

Room 007

کراچی کہانیاں اور نظمیں

Raja Shehzad, Sajjad Ahmed, Afzal Ahmad Syed
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
Moderator : Peerzada Salman
* *

Society Suite

Book Discussion: No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar

Taha Kehar in conversation with Christie Marie Lauder
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
* *

Society Suite

Book Discussion: No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar

Taha Kehar in conversation with Christie Marie Lauder
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
* *

Society Suite

Book Launch: Coining A Wishing Tower by Ayesha Raees

Ayesha Raees in conversation with Christie Marie Lauder
2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Story time by Aunty Tashi

2.15 p.m. - 3.15 p.m.
* *

Main Garden

Weaving Worlds with Words

Kamila Shamsie in conversation with Hasan Zaidi
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
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Jasmine Hall

Ode to our Fathers: Hameed Akhtar, Talat Hussain

Saba Hamid and Tazeen Hussain
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Harris Khalique
* *

Aquarius Hall

Book Launch: کلیات احمد فراز: یہ میری غزلیں یہ میری نظمیں

Ashraf Shad, Ashfaq Hussain, Fazil Jamili, Ambareen Haseeb Amber
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Mehboob Zafar
* *

Room 007

Book Launch: Forgotten Images – Postcards of Pre-Pakistan 1890-1947

F.S. Aijazuddin in conversation with Victoria Schofield
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
* *

Society Suite

New Directions in Teaching and Teacher Education

Anjum Halai, Mohammad Ali Shaikh, Salma Alam, Khadija Bakhtiar
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Moderator : Neda Mulji
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

گیتوں کی محفل

Sohail Rana's famous Songs by Atif Badar
3.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.
* *

Main Garden

چھوٹی سکرین کی بڑی فتوحات

Saba Hamid, Nadeem Baig, Noorul Huda Shah Sarmad Khoosat
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Shaista Lodhi
* *

Jasmine Hall

The Role of AI in Stepchanging Educational Outcomes in Pakistan

Salma Alam, Hammad Malik, Zeeshan Hassan
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Khurram Jamali
* *

Aquarius Hall

سچّل ، سامی ، لطیف

Jami Chandio, Madad Ali Sindhi, Sahar Gul Bhatti
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Sher Muhammad Mehrani
* *

Room 007

Book Launch: A Man with a Pen by Waqas Khan

Waqas Khan in conversation with Naazish Ata Ullah
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.

Sponsored by HBL

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Society Suite

Book Launch: بے موسمی خواہشیں از ناصرہ زبیری

Nasira Zuberi and Inaam Nadeem
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
Moderator : Syed Kashif Raza
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Play: ان فٹ بال ہے دنیا میرے آگے

Grips Theater with Khaled Anam and team
4.45 p.m. - 5.45 p.m.
* *

Main Garden

Book Launch: Journey Through Chaos by Mazhar Abbas

Saeed Ghani, Mazhar Abbas, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Wusatullah Khan, Faisal Subzwari
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Moderator : Ahmed Shah
* *

Jasmine Hall

Emergence of Urdu Rap in Pakistan

Faris Shafi, Babar Mangi
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Moderator : Arshad Mahmud
* *

Aquarius Hall

شاعری کے رنگ جوانوں کے سنگ

Sadarat: Ambareen Hasib Ambar - Nizamat: Abdul Rehman Momin
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.

Ali Zaryoun, Umair Najmi, Dilawar Ali Aazar, Naeem Sameer, Sadiq Marri, Zahida Raeesi, Amar Pirzado, Sabeela Inam Siddique, Imtiaz Danish

* *

Room 007

From Chapters to Change: Literature and Environmental Justice

Uzma Aslam Khan, Tariq Alexander Qaisar, Saba Pirzadeh
6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Moderator : Framji Minwalla
* *

Tulip Hall Youth Pavilion

Young authors and poets with Scherazade Jamali

6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
* *

Main Garden

Closing Ceremony

Keynote Speech by: Arfa Sayeda Zehra; Educationist and Urdu language expert - Mishal Husain; Journalist, broadcaster and author
7.15 p.m. - -

Vote of Thanks by: Khalid Mahmood, Managing Director & CEO, Getz Pharma Pvt. Ltd. - Vote of Thanks by: Maya Inayat Ismail; Chief of Staff to the Chairman and Chairperson, Sustainability Forum-HBL - Vote of Thanks by: THE FESTIVAL ORGANISER, Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan

* *

Main Garden

Qawwali

by Ustad Farid Ayaz & Ustad Abu Muhammad
8.15 p.m. - -

SPONSORED BY: Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi

Official Sponsors

PLATINUM

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