Caretaker Provincial Minister Information, Minority Affairs, Social Protection, President Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi Muhammad Ahmed Shah inaugurated the two-day Hyderabad Literature Festival. Festival opening ceremony was attended by notable figures such as Secretary Awqaf and Religious Affairs Manwar Ali Maheser MD Sindh Education Foundation Abdul Kabir Qazi, architect and artist Hamir Soomro, and writers Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, Noor Ahmed, and Izhar Soomro. Various activities were arranged, including theaters, youth mushaira, musical and dance performances, Qawwali night, and stage drama.
Additionally, an art exhibition by students from the Institute of Art and Design Sindh University was featured. Provincial Minister Muhammad Ahmed Shah, addressing the audience, recalled the tumultuous events of two decades ago when people were killed in the name of languages in Karachi. We held Urdu conferences even during that crucial time; there was no literature festival anywhere in Pakistan, first of all the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi laid the foundation of these literary festivals. Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is set to organize a three-day “Pakistan Literature Festival” in Hyderabad from March 1 to 3, where whole of Hyderabad will participate. Shah stressed the importance of literature in connecting people and shaping thinking, noting its gradual impact on society.
He underscored the significance of cultural preservation and management, acknowledging the ancient civilization of Sindh and the convergence of major civilizations in the region. He also said that the Federation of Pakistan was weakened on various grounds, Hyderabad is still a lively capital, and now literary festivals are also held in Hyderabad.
He said that literature and literary figures can work to connect each other, not politics, the impact of literature does not happen overnight, literary figures thoughts is the leading pathway for the readers. Literature is a great source of thinking. He said, there is a mindset on the strength of Shah Latif’s head, it is not a dance song or noise, but it is the biggest weapon against terrorism. Highlighting the role of literature in countering extremism, Shah cited Shah Latif’s work as a powerful weapon against terrorism.
He lamented the cultural damage inflicted during Zia ul Haq’s regime and emphasized the need to overcome its lingering effects. Shah expressed pride in Sindh’s rich civilization and affirmed support for initiatives promoting culture throughout the province.
He stressed that Sindh is our civilization that is thousands of years old, two confluences of the world’s major civilizations are present here, we have become the pioneers of human rights today, but Shah Latif’s woman was strong, he said We stand on what we are proud of; we are with whoever will work for the promotion of culture in the whole of Sindh, more than one and a half thousand cultural teachers have been recruited in the schools of Sindh. He shared plans for recruiting cultural teachers in various cities in Sindh, underlining the importance of education and cultural preservation in the region.
