The first day of the two-day Fourth Adab Festival opened to a mammoth crowd here today. People of all ages could be seen jostling with one another as they rushed from one interesting session to the other so as not to miss out on their favourite speakers and authors. Habib University students participated in sessions and there was a good representation of the youth at the Festival.
The morning session began with the inauguration ceremony in which the national anthem and Adeb Festival Song was sung, followed by the welcome address by Ameena Saiyid Founder and Director and Shama Askari Director, Adab Festival. Speeches by Zehra Nigah, Maria Rehman, Deputy Director, British Council, Wasif Rizvi, President Habib University, HE Dr Ruediger Lotz, followed after which Tariq Alexander Qaiser and Sherry Rehman gave keynote addresses. Dr Tanveer Anjum was awarded the Adab Festival/Infaq Foundation Prize 2022 for Urdu Writing and Sheema Kermani performed a dance.
Ameena Saiyid thanked Mr Murtaza Wahab, Mr Iqbal Memon, Commissioner, Karachi, British Council, Habib University, Lightstone Publishers, BARD Foundation, and Institute of Business Management, Bank of Punjab, General Shipping Agencies Ltd, GETZ Pharma, EDLINKS, Pakistan International Container Terminal, Bilal Sons, Habib Metropolitan Bank, Mr Manzoor of Frere Hall, Starlinks PR and Events, Mr Afzal, Metropolitan Commissioner, DIG SSU Karachi, Deputy Commissioner, District South, Municipal Commissioner, District South, Additional Inspector General Police, Karachi Range, Ms Sara Amjad, Assistant Commissioner (Headquar- ters) Karachi, Mr Junaidullah, DG Parks, Dr Maqsood Ahmed, DIG SSU, and Sister Elizabeth, Principal of St Joseph’s Convent School Karachi for their support of Adab Festival.
Ameena Saiyid said, “The theme of the Adab Festival this year is the climate crisis. Adab
Festival is a new Silk Route through which our traditions and culture, literature, the arts and their luscious fruits can travel and enter the hearts of people in every part of Pakistan and the world. Through Adab Festival, which is free and open for all, we want everyone in the community to love, experience and enjoy literature. The Adab Festival belongs to Karachi and our community which is why we are having it in an open public space.”
