LONDON, Oct 26 (APP):Pakistan’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK), Mohammad Nafees Zakaria said on Saturday that art and literature could challenge the divisive ideologies and heal the suffering community.
He stated this while opening the fourth edition of Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) at the British Library in London on Saturday.
Razi Ahmed, LLF’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) along with his team put together an impressive show featuring some of the finest writers and opinion-makers from Pakistan, Britain and other countries.
The well attended full-day event attracted a large number of writers, poets, artists, think tank notables, students and media persons.
In his opening remarks, the high commissioner commended Razi Ahmed and his
entire team on the initiative that brought together an august gathering of finest
brains and great intellectuals.
He hoped that LLF would provide a useful platform for public discourse and create mutual understanding between various cultures and communities.
Zakaria said being the cradle of ancient civilizations, Pakistan is rich in art and culture and the LLF sets the stage to promote Pakistani cultural heritage at the international level.
Zakaria said, “The LLF would develop strong linkages between the literary circles of our two countries and such affinities, when developed, transcend many differences and are utmost necessary for cross-cultural understanding, tolerance and global peace, which is the need of the hour”.
“It is a bitter reality of the contemporary age that divisive ideologies are, unfortunately, gaining ground in some parts of the world.
As a result, humanity is suffering. In such chaotic times, art and literature can act as a panacea by bringing different cultures and communities together and building bridges of mutual understanding. Therefore, we need more such festivals to challenge the divisive ideologies and heal the suffering humanity.”, he remarked.
Speakers included historian Ayesha Jalal, politician and former diplomat Sherry Rehman, authors, Fatima Bhutto and Elif Shafak artists Waqas Khan and Raqib Shaw, and former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger.
The LLF featured a wide range of topics including literature, art, history, culture, politics, the architecture of Mughal era, Curtains Up Kashmir: Mirza Waheed and Victoria Schofield in conversation with Sonia Faleiro, Tourism and Mountaineering in Pakistan, education and Global Impact of Pakistani TV & Cinema.
In his vote of thanks, Razi Ahmed thanked High Commissioner Zakaria for his support to the LLF.
Dame Carol Black, Chair of the British Library also spoke on the occasion.
The festival concluded with Qawwali performance by The Saami Brothers
Qawwal in the evening.