The 17th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) ended on a high note on its third and final day celebrating literature, culture, education and public discourse.
From early morning debates to an evening qawwali, the festival confirmed KLF’s role as Pakistan’s most inclusive and dynamic intellectual platform.
The day opened with an inter-school debate on “Literature Today: Elitist or Essential?”, which set the tone for discussions about access, relevance and the future of ideas.
The participating schools were KGS, Lyceum and Cedar College. KGS was the winner. Dramatic readings by Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, Ali Mazhar and Usman Qureshi created a literary buzz.
Literature sessions paid tribute to classic and new authors. Sessions on Jane Austen, global and local issues including women’s and children’s health amid climate change, shifting power dynamics in South Asia, policing and civic accountability in Karachi and the future of higher education.
“Academic freedom is essential for universities. Universities in Pakistan are not enriching young minds to be free but rather mind control,” said Pervez Hoodbhoy.
Throughout the three-day event, literature remained at the heart of the festival, with book launches and author talks attracting great interest.
Highlights included Rebel English Academy by Mohammed Hanif, Umar Mujhay Likhti Hai by Kishwar Naheed, Pakistan Cricket Chronicles 1948-2024 and new translations and collections of poems showcasing Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
Sessions like “Future Shock: Dystopia in a Dystopian World” and “Karachi Between the Lines” explored global and local literary traditions through fresh perspectives.
The Youth Pavilion buzzed with activity, hosting storytelling, writing and calligraphy workshops, theatre, dance, music and dialogues aimed at promoting creativity and serious thinking.
School performances, interactive theater sessions and discussions on skills for the future highlighted KLF’s commitment to engaging the next generation of readers, writers and thinkers.
Culture and public interest sessions added further depth, covering Pakistani television drama, media in a changing world, artificial intelligence and the role of museums and curation.
Film screenings, dramatic readings and musical performances enriched the festival atmosphere, while “The Great KLF Debate: Will AI Take Over?” attracted enthusiastic audience participation.
Salma Alam, Managing Director Durbeen said, “We plan to upscale teachers’ skills. A good teacher is a good educator. We are working on a public-private partnership to establish a graduate program to produce teacher educators.”
Session on “Hope, Faith, and the Miracle of Survival” drew crowds. Zafar Masud said: “My life experience can make people know how it feels when you are so close to death and somehow escape it. Every person has to face death, but my book can enable you to set priorities in life.”
Amin Gulgee talked about his handbook Gulgee Museum in the session with Nicolas Engel. Film screenings included Screen Locked and Banff World Tour 2025-26. Pakistani television drama was discussed in the session “Adakari, Hidayatkari ya Kahani?”
The festival ended with a memorable closing ceremony in the Main Garden. Acclaimed author Mohammed Hanif delivered a keynote address on the enduring power of literature to question, resist and imagine. Daniel Arsenault, Counselor High Commission of Canada, Sibtain Naqvi, Head of Institution Branding and Narratives, Getz Pharma, and Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan, gave the vote of thanks, followed by a soul-stirring qawwali performance by Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers that brought one close to the Littéri Festival and the Karachi relief zone.
