Faiz Festival concludes

LAHORE: The three-day Faiz Festival concluded here on Sunday at Alhamra Art Council.

On the third and final day of the festival, a series of academic, literary and cultural activities were continued. More than 20 sessions were held on the last day of the festival, in which renowned writers, poets, intellectuals and artists participated.

Topics such as Manto, Palestine, secularism, women and environment, heritage and tourism, the relationship between social media and politics, and film writing were also discussed.

Literary figures, people associated with fine arts and common citizens also participated in the festival in large numbers. Food stalls were also set up in the festival to entertain the general public.

On the last day of the festival, there was a lively discussion on Urdu language, Saadat Hasan Manto, Palestine and the collection of poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Literature enthusiasts participated in the festival in full force. One session of the festival was dedicated to the famous short-story writer Saadat Hasan Manto and while speaking at the session, Indian artiste Nandita Das said that Manto was highly appreciated in India and plays were made on Manto's stories in India. Pakistani director Sarmad Khoosat said that Manto was such a big name that it will not be enough to keep writing.

There was also a session on the ‘Knowledge of the land of Palestine’ in the festival where poems and sonnets were read on the atrocities on the

Palestinian people and children.

In addition, in a discussion titled ‘Urdu Hai Jis Ka Naam’ renowned intellectuals Dr Arifa Syeda and Zahra Nigah participated and said that Urdu was not only the Urdu language, it is the name of a civilisation.

The festival also saw the launch of the book ‘Jab Tak Hai Zameen’, and private school girls performed a dance to Faiz's lyrics, captivating the audience.