15th Karachi Literature Festival concludes

The closing ceremony of the 15th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) on Sunday evening acknowledged literary personalities Zehra Nigah, Iftikhar Arif, Kishwar Naheed and Muneeza Shamsie for their support for the literature festival since its inception.

Najeeba Arif was one of the keynote speakers at the concluding ceremony of the KLF. “It is important to note that promotion and understanding of literature is an essential part of ‘ILM’ that has been commanded in the Quran. KLF is that vibrant platform where we can immerse into Ilm in all its global contexts,” she said.

Addressing the ceremony, Jordanian scholar Joseph Massad elaborated on the ideals of liberalism and democracy. “Liberalism and democracy are not separate entities but complementary ideals, together forming the bedrock of modern governance, ensuring justice, freedom, and opportunity for all,” he said.

Maya Inayat Ismail of the HBL and Arshad Saeed Hussain, managing director of the Oxford University Press Pakistan that has been organising the KLF, expressed gratitude to the participants.

“On behalf of Oxford University Press Pakistan, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the organisers, participants, and attendees for making this literature festival a resounding success,” Hussain said. The evening came to a close with a Qawwali performance by Qawwal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers that delighted the audience.