News Desk |
The Governor House Sindh is hosting the first three-day ‘Adab Festival Pakistan’. A large number of literary figures including writers, authors, poets, and intellectuals attended the opening day of the festival. The festival will continue till February 3rd and will feature various sessions on different topics that will be attended by various literary figures.
Ameen Saiyid and Asif Farrukhi, who started the Karachi Literature Festival are now the co-founders of the ‘Adab Festival Pakistan’ delivered their speeches at the ceremony. Also, notable personalities including Dr. Ishrat Husain, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, and Seyyed Vali Nasr were also present and addressed the gathering.
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail also addressed the gathering and praised the austerity drive initiated by Prime Minister Imran Khan that opened the doors of Governor House for the public.
“Through Adab Festival, we want to create a new Silk Route through which all the grandeur of our traditions and culture, literature and the arts, expressed through every language in the country, can travel out of obscurity to join the world’s assemblage of cultures and their luscious fruit,” said Saiyid in her inaugural speech.
She added that they have designed various programs to celebrate the diverse literature background of Pakistan in different languages. Also, programmes will be organized featuring book launches, talks and interviews, poetry sessions, book fairs, theatre, dance, and music shows, among others.
“We are thankful to all of you, especially the international authors, for your presence and participation.” Farrukhi in his speech credited Saiyid for taking the initiative to organize literary festivals in Karachi.
Read more: Governor Sindh announces to celebrate International Biryani Festival annually
Farrukhi, calling the event “amazing, challenging and exciting,” said that it marked a decade of literary festivals in Karachi. “With this success story behind us, we have organized the Adab Festival this year to celebrate literature in other languages and recognize emerging voices as well.
We have started from scratch with a small team, but are determined to make it successful because of our working relationship with books, poets and writers,” he said, adding that there were lovely voices, laughing and whispering that have assured us, saying, “You are not alone.”
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail also addressed the gathering and praised the austerity drive initiated by Prime Minister Imran Khan that opened the doors of Governor House for the public. “We have opened the doors of Governor’s House to the public and this all has become possible because of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision.”
Read more: Sindh Governor House opens for public
“Instead of producing poets and writers, we, unfortunately, witnessed terrorists,” he said, adding that now peace has returned to the city, which was helping revive its past glory. Calling himself a ‘fan of literature’, he said, “I will welcome you all to organize such events every year until I am the governor,” he said in conclusion.