The seventh edition of Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest began in Lahore at Alhamrah Arts Council, inviting people from all walks of life to “Come, think and question” on all topics ranging from sociopolitical to economic and from cultural to climate change.
This year’s theme is Winter of discontent with a focus on conflict and the climate crisis. The inaugural sessions of the two-day event were attended by prominent speakers from around the world and Pakistan. The event started with a panel discussion titled Re-imagining Pakistan: Exploring the Need for a New Social Contract, where former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former finance minister Dr. Miftah Ismail highlighted the importance of intellectual discourse in Pakistan. Shahid Khaqan emphasised the need to revisit the Constitution and amend it in a constructive manner.
He highlighted the existing gap between the state and its people, suggesting that a new social contract might be necessary for effective governance. Both panelists agreed that empowering local governments was crucial for combating corruption. They praised implementation of local bodies systems by General Musharraf and stressed the need for education to address corruption effectively. Another panel titled “Development Pathways: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, 1947-2022”, where former finance minister Dr. Ishrat Hussain, renowned economist Savail Hussain, and Dr. Turab Hussain, gave an overview of economic development in Pakistan since 1947. Dr. Ishrat expressed some concerns and presented some recommendations, referring to significance of consistency, continuity, and predictability in policy-making. Moreover, he emphasised ensuring that policy content was not driven by ideology. WWF-International President Dr. Adil Najam, during his talk, emphasised the need for climate action in Pakistan in the wake of the ongoing climatic crisis. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Afkar-e-Taza Thinkfest Dr Yaqoob Bangash stressed the need for organising events where the audience had a complete access to the panelists for a healthy discussion.
Our idea is to start a discussion within our society where people can share ideas and knowledge without any hindrance. Thinkfest is a platform that has been providing that space both to the audience and the participants for the past seven years, he said. The list of notable speakers at the ThinkFest 2024 included: Adil Najam from Boston University, Faisal Bari, S. Akbar Zaidi from IBA Karachi, Ali Usman Qasmi from LUMS, Ishrat Hussain, Senator Musadik Malik, Ali Cheema, journalist Ejaz Haider, former finance minister Salman Shah, Aisha Sarwari, Fawad Hassan Fawad, Salman Akram Raja, Murtaza Solangi, Hamid Mir, Ammar Ali Jan, Salima Hashmi and Raza Ali Dada. Among the foreign speakers were: Ahmet Kuru from San Diego State University, Juergen Frembgen from Germany, Pippa Virdee from De Montfort University in the UK, Laurence Gautier from CSH Delhi, Sher Ali Tareen from Franklin & Marshall College.
