Thousands turn up as Quetta Literary Festival kicks off
A book stall at the Quetta Literary Festival: Photo Manan Mandokhail

Syed Ali Shah:

Thousands turned up as Quetta Literary Festival kicked off at the Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS) on Monday morning. Leading authors, writers, poets, filmmakers, artists, journalists, drama writers, novelists, and photographers participated in the festival.

The prominent among those include Amjad Islam Amjad, Dr. Arfa Syed Zahra, Anwar Maqsood, Professor Asim Sajjad, Adeel Afzal, Nilofar Qazi and a large number of Balochistan-based authors and poets participated in the first functions of the festival.

“No dearth of knowledge and talent in Balochistan”, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General Salman Moin. The GOC inaugurated the first session of the festival. Vice-Chancellor BUITEMS, Farooq Ahmed Bazai, former Governor Justice (R) Amanullah Yaseenzai, former federal information minister, Javed Jabbar and others were also present on the occasion.

“This festival is a clear example of Balochistan’s talent”

“This festival is a clear example of Balochistan’s talent”, Major General Salman Moin mentioned.

Over 100 delegates from across the country have arrived in the provincial capital to participate in the festival and share their ideas, knowledge, experiences and information with the audience. Most of the halls located in the BUITEMS were jam-packed with students, authors, intellectuals, authors and poets.

Dr. Faisal Ahmed Khan, the head of the Festival said that 150 guests would participate in all 46 sessions planned for the two days.

“Hope Again” is the title of the Festival

“This literary festival is also unique because all the people are volunteering in it. We want to promote knowledge, literature, humanity, peace, love,” he added. He said, “the purpose of the title ‘Hope again’ is to promote love and affection among the people.”

Later, the inaugural session of the event was held under the theme “Culture yesterday and today”
Arifa Syeda Zehra, Amjad Salam Amjad, and Adeel Afzal participated while Aftab Alam’s book was presented to Vice-Chancellor BUITEMS Ahmed Farooq Bazai.

On the first day of the 3rd Quetta Literary Festival, federal, regional development and 18th amendment in Pakistan, challenges faced by Journalism in the province, writing, Liaison with Children, Islamic art and architecture, civilization education and life, autism, historical background of Balochistan Lectures on development backwardness, higher education in Pakistan, Balochi handicrafts, political situation and events, music and society, conservation of the natural environment, filmmaking and Pakistani cinema, lectures were held in which a large number of participants participated.

Special activities planned for children

On the first day of the festival, five different books by Barkat Shah Kakar, Rabia Baloch, Gham Khwar Hayat, Mohsin Shakeel, and Dr. Abdul Rauf Rafiqi were also launched. At the same time, Rozi Khan Shoq’s Pashto comedy show was also presented. Quetta Literary Festival has also organized special activities for children this year, including calligraphy desks, polio and immunizations, magic shows and other activities.

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Quetta Voice is an English Daily covering all unfolding political, economic and social issues relating to Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province in terms of area. QV's main focus is on stories related to education, promotion of quality education and publishing reports about out of school children in the province. QV has also a vigilant eye on health, climate change and other key sectors.