17th Karachi Literature Festival Ends with Healthy Cultural Debates

Karachi, February 8, 2026: The 17th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) at the Beach Luxury Hotel came to a vibrant close on its third and final day, celebrating literature, culture, education, and public discourse. From early morning debates to an evening qawwali, the festival reaffirmed KLF’s role as Pakistan’s most inclusive and dynamic intellectual platform.
The day opened with an inter-school debate on ‘Literature Today: Elitist or Essential?’, setting the tone for discussions on access, relevance, and the future of ideas. The participating schools were KGS, Lyceum and Cedar College. KGS was the winner. Dramatic readings by Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, Ali Mazhar and Usman Qureshi created a literary buzz.
Literature sessions celebrated classic and emerging writers. Sessions on Jane Austen, global and local issues, including women and children’s health amid climate change, shifting power dynamics in South Asia, policing and civic accountability in Karachi, and the future of higher education. “Academic freedom is essential for universities. Universities in Pakistan are not enriching young minds to be free but rather mind control,” said Pervez Hoodbhoy.
Throughout the three-day event, literature remained at the heart of the festival, with book launches and author talks drawing strong interest. Highlights included Rebel English Academy by Mohammed Hanif, Umar Mujhay Likhti Hai by Kishwar Naheed, Pakistan Cricket Chronicles 1948-2024, and new translations and poetry collections showcasing Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity. Sessions such as ‘Future Shock: Dystopia in a Dystopian World’, and ‘Karachi Between the Lines’ explored global and local literary traditions through fresh perspectives.
The Youth Pavilion buzzed with activity, hosting storytelling, writing and calligraphy workshops, theatre, dance, music, and dialogues aimed at nurturing creativity and serious thinking. School performances, interactive theatre sessions, and discussions on skills for the future highlighted KLF’s commitment to engaging the next generation of readers, writers, and thinkers.
Culture and public-interest sessions added further depth, covering Pakistani television drama, media in a changing world, artificial intelligence, and the role of museums and curation. Film screenings, dramatic readings, and music performances enriched the festival atmosphere, while ‘The Great KLF Debate: Will AI Take Over?’ attracted enthusiastic audience participation. Salma Alam, CEO Durbeen said, “We are planning on scaling up teachers’ skills. A good teacher is a good educator. We are working on a public-private partnership to set up a graduate program to produce teachers’ educators.”
Session on ‘Hope, Faith, and the Miracle of Survival’ drew crowds. Zafar Masud said, “My life experience can make people know how it feels when you are so near to death and somehow you escape it. Every person has to face death but my book may enable you to set priorities in life.” Amin Gulgee talked about his handbook Gulgee Museum in the session with Nicolas Engel. Film screenings included Screen Locked and 2025-26 Banff World Tour. Pakistani TV drama was discussed in the session ‘Adakari, Hidayatkari ya Kahani?’
The festival concluded with a memorable closing ceremony in the Main Garden. Acclaimed writer Mohammed Hanif delivered keynote address on literature’s enduring power to question, resist, and imagine. Daniel Arsenault, Counsellor High Commission Canada, Sibtain Naqvi, Head of Institution Branding and Narratives, Getz Pharma, and Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan, gave the vote of thanks, followed by a soul-stirring qawwali performance by Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, bringing the 17th Karachi Literature Festival to a resonant and uplifting close.