NEW YORK: Lahore Literary Festival returned to New York after a four years break resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, with Pakistan’s envoy to the United States (US), Masood Khan, saying that this premier cultural festival will give stimulus to the people-to-people Pak-US ties.
In his opening remarks, the ambassador termed it a breath of fresh air and said, “We should pay rich tribute to the founders of the Lahore Literary Festival.
Remarking that there were literary festivals taking place in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Muzaffarabad, Masood Khan proposed that the organizers of the festival should also hold such event at the UN too.
Lahore Literary Festival Returns to New York
“Take this festival inside the UN,” Masood Khan, who has served at the UN as Pakistan’s top envoy, said. Masood Khan said that Lahore — in addition to its many other identities — one was that of being cultural and literary. Before the partition of India, the Ambassador said, the city contributed to South Asian literature, producing best writers and contributing to film production, with top musicians, directors, scriptwriters, and poets “.
He added people tend to look at Pakistan through the prism of strategic paradigms and politics, but beyond that, the South Asian country has a strong literary tradition that was being projected by Lahore Literary Festival in New York.
Pakistan’s strong relations and partnership with the US, he said, was going to turn into a common good not only for the two sides, but for the entire world.
The Asia Society, New York, is organizing the day-long festival in collaboration with the Lahore Literary Festival, one of South Asia’s main cultural events.
Speakers include Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Shahbaz Taseer, Kamila Shamsie, Marina Fareed, Sadia Shepard and Tahira Naqvi will discuss various matters at three separate sessions during the day. APP
