Category: Education

Glocalising accountancy profession, ICMA Pakistan and ACCA enter strategic partnership to create more opportunities for stakeholders

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and Institute of Cost Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA Pakistan) have entered a strategic partnership agreement focusing on greater collaboration between both the accounting bodies and creating new opportunities for their members, partners and the country. The announcement was made at a high-profile event here in Islamabad yesterday.

The agreement will allow both the organisations to collaborate on delivering inclusive, integrated thinking by glocalising the governance processes, create new membership pathways, and benefit from their collective global and local knowledge, experience and reach.

‘Today’s world offers a very unique opportunity to “work together”, “evolve together” and “create together”. But it requires a mindset shift towards purpose driven collaboration to solve regional and global problems.’ – Zia ul Mustafa, President, ICMA Pakistan.

He further emphasised that members of both ACCA and ICMA Pakistan have a lot to gain from this partnership. He explained how ICMA Pakistan is playing its role in Pakistan’s economic development and also the statutory privileges and rights earned by the Institute’s members over a period of 60 years of its existence. Mr. Zia expressed that broader collaboration between both professional accounting organisations will further add to their national and international contribution towards common global objective of increasing capacity for innovation and productivity.

“This strategic partnership with ICMA Pakistan is consistent with our mission to be a global leader in the profession by providing opportunity and open access to people of ability wherever they are in the world to support and promote the highest ethical, governance and professional standards, advancing the public interest”, added Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive, ACCA.

“I am confident that this thought leadership shall help Pakistan to build trust, understand the importance of governance and transparency, enhance quality of financial information for decision making, expand tax base, build larger portfolio for export of services, and earn reputation for the professionals in Pakistan.”

Present at the signing ceremony were Guests of Honour, Andleeb Abbas, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Zamir Ahmed, Additional Auditor General of Pakistan, and Faiz ullah Kamoka, Chairman, Standing Committee for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs.

Other important attendees included, Ayla Majid FCCA, Council Member, ACCA, Shehzad Ahmed Malik, Council Member, ICMA Pakistan, Ather Saleem, Council Member, ICMA Pakistan, Ghulam Qazi, Council Member, ICMA Pakistan, Aamir Ijaz Khan, Executive Director, ICMA Pakistan, Sajjeed Aslam, Head of ACCA Pakistan, Assad Hameed Khan, Market Head – Business Development, ACCA, Muhammad Shehzad Khan, Chairman – UK Branch Council, ICMA Pakistan, and Javaria Malik, Director Marketing and Communications, ICMA Pakistan.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) In line with the mission to empower women through tech, 10Pearls University is pleased to announce the 4^th edition of Women Tech Quest. The event is scheduled to take place on March 28, 2020, and will be held in three major cities of Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Women Tech Quest (WTQ) is a competition for women to exhibit their expertise in either of three categories – software coding, software testing or graphic designing. The participants can be students, professionals or stay-at-home women who wish to restart their careers. It’s an intense, yet fun-filled competition where they compete to achieve their tasks within the specified time. The best in each category are declared the winners of Women Tech Quest, and get exciting prizes in addition to winner shields. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity for everyone to network with likeminded women and enjoy the spotlight!

10Pearls’ Managing Director Zeeshan Aftab explains the purpose behind holding Women Tech Quest: “We want to create an ecosystem that enables women in tech to demonstrate their creativity and expertise, get due recognition, and accelerate their careers. Women Tech Quest is one such initiative by 10Pearls University.”

WTQ is a lot about encouraging women to ace in their careers. Each year, inspirational women join the event as guest speakers and share their journey of triumphs and growth. For this edition of WTQ, Ammara Masood – CEO & President – National Data Consultant (Pvt) Ltd, Dr Sara Saeed (CEO and Co-Founder of Sehat Kahani), Aqsa Kauser (Machine Learning Engineer at Red Buffer) and Asma Khalil, (Country Director Customer Care at Careem) are just some of the leading women who will be speaking at the event.

According to Nadia Nasir, Winner of Coding Competition 2019, “Programs like Women Tech Quest give women an opportunity to enhance their skills, meet amazing women and experience a fast-paced environment. I thoroughly enjoyed participating and winning the competition!”

Over the years, Women Tech Quest has seen remarkable growth since its inception. It was initiated in 2017, where there were around 100 registrations. In 2018, the competition had 400+ registrations. The third edition attracted 600+ registrations and the scope was broadened to include Coding, Testing and Design. This year, the competition has been taken nation-wide and will be taking place in Karachi (NIC Karachi, our strategic partner), Lahore (Plan9 our event partner ) and Islamabad (WeCreate). 

Women Tech Quest has always been endorsed by top names in technology and other industries. We are proud to have renowned names like P@SHA, WomeninTechPK, Women Techmakers Lahore, GDG Islamabad and Uber as our Event Partners for WTQ2020.  The event is sponsored by Bonanza Satrangi and Finclude.    

How to participate
Women from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad can participate in the event by purchasing tickets via the WTQ website or exclusive app. The app can be downloaded via:

Google Play: http://bit.ly/3aljgRa
App Store: https://apple.co/2TyQHJ3

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) BankIslami Pakistan Limited, in collaboration with the Centre for Islamic Finance of Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) successfully conducted a certified program on Islamic Finance for its branch managers in Lahore. This capacity building initiative was aimed at equipping branch managers of BankIslami with essential Islamic Banking knowledge providing them the ability to serve the customers better through more personalized and robust services.

Dr. SaadA zmat, (Associate Professor of Finance, Director Office of Research, Chair of Centre for Islamic Finance, at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS))conducted these trainings. Expressing his views on the occasion he remarked that “This partnership between Centre for Islamic Finance at LUMS and BankIslami would be instrumental in promoting Islamic Finance in Pakistan.”

Mr. Rizwan Ata, Country Head Distribution of BankIslami Pakistan spoke at the inaugural session. He emphasized that as branch managers of one of the leading Islamic Bank of Pakistan, the team members have a responsibility to spread awareness about Sharia-compliant banking among consumers and other stakeholders. Therefore, it is essential for them to develop deeper understanding on prohibition of riba and strive to build conviction towards the frameworks that serve as foundation for Islamic Finance.

This learning initiative was planned for branch managers as part of Bank’s continuous development and capacity building initiative. The certificate distribution ceremony was presided by Mr. Aasim Salim, General Manager, Central region and also attendedby Ms. Ayesha Ashraf Jangda, Section Head, Training& Organizational Development.

The Centre of Islamic Financeat LUMS,was established to meet the growing human resource and knowledge requirements of the Islamic finance industry. 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A new GSMA study launched today shows that despite progress, the gender gap in mobile internet usage remains substantial, with over 300 million fewer women than men accessing the internet from a mobile device in low- and middle-income countries. Affordability remains the critical barrier to mobile ownership, while lower awareness, as well as a lack of literacy and digital skills, are vital factors preventing women’s mobile internet use. The industry is renewing its commitment to reaching women with digital and financial services to address the persistent mobile gender gap.

The study finds that the mobile internet gender gap has narrowed and 54% of women in low- and middle-income countries now use mobile internet, up from 44% in 2017. However, the underlying gender gap in mobile ownership remains largely unchanged and 165 million fewer women than men own a mobile. The research found that mobile offers essential benefits to users. The majority of male and female mobile owners reported that mobile ownership makes them feel safer, better informed and supports them in their day-to-day lives.

“We are seeing important progress in driving equal internet access for women, but the pace of progress still remains slow. We urge business and government communities to continue prioritising efforts to drive more equal access to mobile technology,” said Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA. “Ensuring digital and financial inclusion for women is critically important, as we know that when women thrive, societies, businesses and economies thrive.”

This year marks two significant anniversaries. It’s been 25 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and 10 years since the launch of the GSMA Connected Women programme. Today, the GSMA announced the first wave of operators to make or renew their Connected Women Commitment through to 2023. The operators are Graeme phone Ltd. (Bangladesh), Mobi tel (Pvt) Limited – Sri Lanka, Mobile Money Limited (subsidiary of MTN Ghana), Ooredoo Maldives, Orange Finances Mobiles Sénégal (OFMS), Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (JIO) India, Robi Axiata Limited (Bangladesh), Safaricom PLC, Turkcell Turkey and Vodacom Congo (RDC) SA Democratic Republic of Congo.

The GSMA introduced the Connected Women Commitment Initiative in 2016 to catalyze action to close the mobile gender gap. Over this time, 39 mobile operators across Africa, Asia and Latin America have made formal commitments to reduce the gender gap in their mobile money or mobile internet customer base by 2020. These operators have already reached more than 35 million additional women with mobile internet or mobile money services, and are driving increased digital and financial inclusion for women.

“We applaud all operators who are partnering with us on this critical initiative and look forward to working together to accelerate digital and financial inclusion for women,” said Granryd.

The GSMA’s Mobile Gender Gap Report 2020 is available at: https://www.gsma.com/r/gender-gap/

Further information on the Connected Women Commitment Initiative can be found at: https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/connected-women/the-commitment/

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) A delegation from Norway visited the Institute for Art and Culture (IAC), Lahore on 5 March, 2020. The delegation were representing the Oslo Mela Festival, an event that introduces artistic and cultural expressions from all over the world including, music, arts and crafts, theatre, and dance. The Mela Oslo was first held in 2001. Today it’s one of Europe’s biggest festivals of its kind. The festival takes place at Rådhusplassen (City Hall Square) a weekend in August.
The delegation included Mr. Khalid Salimi, a Pakistani Norwegian, who is the director of the Mela Oslo. Accompanying him were Mr. Dag Hotvedt and his associates who were visiting Pakistan to learn more about Pakistani Culture and create linkages with relevant institutes and organisations in Pakistan who are active in the field of Cultural Heritage Management. Prof. Sajida Haider Vandal, Vice Chancellor of the IAC introduced its ethos, saying that IAC incorporates a tri-lingual approach, which includes English, Urdu and Punjabi, so the students recognize culture and art education not as a foreign stimulus but the one they are inherently connected with.

Mr. Dag Hotvedt agreed with Prof. Vandal saying that Norwegians were ruled by the Danish and later the Swedes, before they became Norwegian. Hence as a young country Norway had to invent itself and find its own identity, one that is unified but also celebrates the different dialects, art and culture.

He deliberated on the young generation of today and how important it is to be a part of an international movement but also hold on to their traditional cultural heritage at the same time. He also said that art and culture gives the opportunity to create space to have a dialogue about issues that might be hard to talk about for example gender equality, and equal rights for minorities. Prof Sajida agreed with him and said that we celebrate our cultural diversity as a nation, as historically this area has absorbed many cultures. The idea is to learn from each other, build relationships and achieve peace through the projection of art education and increasing ownership of our cultural heritage.

40 Goal girls successfully complete

Vocational training to gain employment opportunities

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Standard Chartered Pakistan, in partnership with Right to Play, hosted a ceremony to recognise girls from underserved areas that have been trained to become future economic leaders in their communities. This initiative is part of the Bank’s leading community investment programme focused on Education, Goal.

Mrs. Shehla Raza, Provincial Minister of Sindh for Women Empowerment was the chief guest at the ceremony.

As part of the Goal programme, ‘Be Independent’ module was launched in 2018, a module that aims to provide practical experience and equip girls to be ready to generate their own incomes by obtaining a job or developing their own micro-enterprise. Since its launch, over 800 young girls have been empowered with vocational skills, employability skills and other essential knowledge to equip this group to become economic leaders in their communities.

Out of the 800, 40 girls were chosen based on their potential to receive vocational training on specific fields such as cooking, baking, pastry making, learning English language, fashion designing, learning how to use Microsoft Excel and Office, photography, to name a few After a year of hard work, 40 of these girls, whom the Bank calls Futuremakers, have completed vocational trainings and some have even earned gainful employment opportunities.

Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, is the bank’s global initiative empowering the next generation to learn, earn and grow through our Education, Employability and Entrepreneurship programmes.

Goal is Standard Chartered’s leading Education programme that falls within the Education pillar of the Bank’s community investment strategy.

Through the Bank’s Goal programme, we aim to empower adolescent girls through a combination of sports and life skills training. The Goal curriculum is based on five training modules that provide with the confidence, knowledge and skills these girls need to be integral economic leaders in their families, communities and societies. In Pakistan, Goal has been running since 2016 through its implementing partner, Right to Play, and has to date empowered over 11,000 girls. In 2019, the programme was expanded to include public schools in Islamabad. As at February 2020, Goal is actively running in 34 schools in Karachi and Islamabad.

Commenting on the ceremony Mr. Shazad Dada, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan said: “I am very proud of these girls who have graduated today through our Goal Employability module. There is massive hidden potential waiting to be unlocked for the youth, specifically girls, across the country. We hope to provide them with the right tools and knowledge that will enable them make informed choices as they move into adulthood, and to empower them to be more active economic participants in their communities. Through this initiative, we hope that these girls become trailblazers for the future generations to become independent and contribute to the Pakistan economy”.

Goal’s training curriculum is based on five modules: ‘Be Money Savvy’ focuses on financial education (how to save, invest and open a bank account); ‘Be Yourself’ imparts effective communication skills; ‘Be Healthy’ builds knowledge on health and hygiene; ‘Be Empowered’ teaches girls how to be confident, authentic and stand up for their rights; and ‘Be Independent’ focuses on providing vocational training to girls to enable them to be financially empowered.

Telenor Pakistan and Facebook imparting digital skills to empower women entrepreneurs under World Bank’s GLWE initiative

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) In continuation of its commitment to empower societies across the country, and celebrate International Women’s Day, Telenor Pakistan has begun implementation of their pledge under Girls Learn, Women Earn (GLWE) initiative with a digital skills bootcamp for women entrepreneurs. 100 aspiring women entrepreneurs will be trained via Telenor Pakistan’s flagship design thinking program, ACTIVATE and #SheMeansBusiness, Facebook’s program on digital skills and the ambition for 2020 is to train 1000 women.

The inauguration ceremony was held at Telenor Pakistan’s 345 campus, attended by the company’s CEO and top management along with Ms. Beth Ann, Head of Policy, Facebook, industry leaders, diplomats and key stakeholders. Speakers during the session shed light on how the GLWE initiative and other similar activities undertaken by the participating organizations were facilitating the search for prospective solutions to the issues that women in our society face.

Improvements in technology and implementation of digital services are helping erase barriers between suppliers and customers across the world. In Pakistan, there is immense potential for women in particular to demonstrate exceptional contributions in various fields. This bootcamp launched by Telenor Pakistan in partnership with Facebook’s #SheMeansBusiness programme trains and facilitates women with essential digital skills for business growth and provides a space for entrepreneurs to make valuable connections. Through this, all partners are working towards achieving their goals of greater financial and digital inclusion.

“We believe in creating an enabling environment for our team members to grow and excel both personally as well as professionally. Our partnership with the World Bank and Facebook is a representation of our efforts to provide a similar atmosphere for women across the country who have the will but lack the resources to become partners in the development of our economy and society” Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan & Head of Emerging Asia Cluster said at the inauguration. “We at Telenor Pakistan have always been a very strong proponent of women’s empowerment and inclusion, both inside and outside the workplace. Being cognizant of their challenges, we have designed this digital skills bootcamp to equip them with essential skills to propel their careers further,” he added.

“When women do better, we all benefit. Pakistani women entrepreneurs are resourceful, and we want them to understand how going digital can help them start and expand their ventures. Through the #SheMeansBusiness program and our partnership with Telenor, we aim to connect entrepreneurial women with empowering tools, peers and networks,” said Beth Ann Lim, Head of Community Affairs for APAC at Facebook.

ACTIVATE is a design-driven innovation program of Telenor which imparts aspiring entrepreneurs with creative problem-solving skills. The foundation of this flagship program is based on design thinking principles and is executed through design sprint framework by Google Ventures. The women entrepreneurs learned creative visual thinking and design sprint methodologies to quickly find problems and build innovative solutions. Through #SheMeansBusiness, an initiative of Facebook the entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to learn essential digital skills for business growth including Facebook marketing, content creation, page moderation tools and analytics.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Microsoft, through its Microsoft for Startups initiative, has announced the launch of its Global Social Entrepreneurship programme.

Around the world, startups are creating new businesses, built around powerful technologies and designed to make the world a better place. Innovators and entrepreneurs are finding new ways to harness technology to drive purpose-led social enterprises that measure success not just by the profits they generate, but by the good they do. Microsoft is deeply inspired by the commitment of these social entrepreneurs, who are focusing their passion for positive change on improving human health and the environment, advancing social and economic equity, and much more.

But these are huge, complicated problems and far too large for any single organisation to hope to solve alone. So to empower social entrepreneurs, Microsoft is launching a new Global Social Entrepreneurship programme to offer qualified startups access to technology, skills, customers and grants.

The Global Social Entrepreneurship programme has benefits aimed specifically at elevating startups addressing an important social and/or environmental challenge through their products, services or operations.

“Solving global social and environmental challenges requires synergy of the right technology, partners, conducive environment and technology. When startups work together with investors, enterprises, governments, non-profits and communities, we are able to unlock new potentials,” said Microsoft4Afrika Director AmroteAbdella.

This global initiative is designed to help social enterprise startups build and scale their companies to do good globally. Microsoftbelieves in providing the foundational building blocks to help social entrepreneurs create companies that can achieve worldwide impact. Social enterprises that become part of the Global Social Entrepreneurship programme will receive access to free Microsoft cloud technologies, including up to $120,000 in Azure credits, along with technical support and guidance.

A dedicated programme manager will help Global Social Entrepreneurship startups market and sell solutions and connect to large commercial organisations and nongovernmental organisations that are potential customers. Participants focused on sustainability, accessibility, and skills and employability will also be eligible for grants. Furthermore, the social enterprises that join the Global Social Entrepreneurship programme will be part of a worldwide community of like-minded innovators who come together to share ideas, foster connections and celebrate success.

The programmeis available in 140 countries and will actively seek to support underrepresented founders with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

Founded by two female Pakistani doctors Dr Iffat Zafar and Dr Sara SaeedKhurram, SehatKahani is empowering female doctors and digitising healthcare in Pakistan. An e-health startup, the company aims to democratise access to quality and affordable health care using cost-effective ICT enabled solutions through a network of qualified home-based female doctors.

The services integrate health with technology to create virtual solutions that provide access to health for all while making use of the untapped female health resources of Pakistan. Microsoft through the 4Afrika initiative has supported SehatKahani with go-to-market strategy and provided advisory roles for strategies on scaling up and growing their business. This has also facilitated the design of a digital health solution including a mobile app and a web platform to diagnose and treat a broad range of diseases virtually.

“We are working towards a future where healthcare is available to all irrespective of their gender, race, ethnicity or social class using technology as an equaliser for all, and our partnership with Microsoft has been a game-changer in our journey,” says Dr Sara Saeed Khurram.

Social impact startups from around the world are welcome to apply. The criteria to qualify for the programme includes a business metric that measures impact on an important social or environmental challenge; an established product or service that will benefit from access to enterprise customers; and a commitment to the ethical and responsible use of AI.Qualified startups will be eligible for grants in the areas of sustainability, accessibility, skills and employability.

Through Global Social Entrepreneurship, Microsoft looks forward to working in close partnership with social enterprises from around the world. To find out more about the Global Social Entrepreneurship programme, or to apply, visit startups.microsoft.com/socialentrepreneurship

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) organised a multi-stakeholder corporate networking conference on the theme ‘Punjab: Pakistan’s Industrial and Talent Powerhouse’ here in Faisalabad to emphasise on the need for future-readiness of businesses to keep Faisalabad globally competitive and make it lucrative for foreign investors.

As a hub for industrialisation in Pakistan, Faisalabad is on the cusp of a technological revolution and the need for organisations to be future-ready was never greater. At ACCA’s conference, prominent thought leaders and policy makers discussed and proposed recommendations on how to keep Faisalabad region up to speed amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution by adopting a growth agenda based on the golden principles of inclusivity, integrity and innovation.

‘As the global body for professional accountants, ACCA is a super-connector – seeing, facilitating and maximising linkages across the profession for the benefit of our members, economies and society at large. Conferences like this allow us to share our future-focused Professional Insights and help organisations to think ahead and stay future-fit.’ – Assad Hameed Khan, Market Head – Business Development, ACCA Pakistan  

Senator Walid Iqbal was the Chief Guest at the event. He delivered a passionate speech on the future of Faisalabad region, emphasised on the role of business community in keeping ‘Manchester of Pakistan’ ahead on the global stage, and shared the government’s commitment. He also urged policy makers and regulators to facilitate investors and improve ease of doing business in the city.

The conversations remained focused on three key areas: Ensuring inclusivity and equality of opportunity to create an economy that serves everyone regardless of their background, building trust and earning global credibility for businesses in an environment of trust crisis by upholding highest standards of ethics, and to encourage innovation to truly transform and future-proof our manufacturing sector. 

The conference also discussed how our manufacturing sector can adopt latest technologies and develop future-ready talent to compete and win globally. Rana Muhammad Sikandar Azam, President, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industries shared with attendees his exclusive insights into the future of textile sector in Pakistan and shared how their member organisations are leading the change.

Speaking at the conference, ACCA’s Head of Business Development – Central, Muhammad Shahid Khan, said:

‘Faisalabad contributes significantly to our national GDP and its manufacturing sector is among the biggest employers. It’s crucial for organisations operating in the district to ensure their sustainability and futureproof jobs by staying ahead of the curve when it comes to disruptive technologies.’

The conference offered local businesses, thought leaders, and policy makers an opportunity to sit together and form an actionable agenda to help the region realise its true economic potential.

The conversation leaders at the event included, Zia Ul Mustafa, President, Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP), Dr Tanveer Hussain, Rector, National Textile University, Muhammad Iqbal Ghori, Director Finance & Strategic Planning, Sadaqat Limited, Syed Rehan Hussain, Chief Operating Officer, Akhuwat Foundation, Beau Seil, Partner Singapore Southeast Asia Investment Lead, Patamar Capital, Zunaira Riaz, Senior Manager Professional Qualifications and Career Development Centre, The Millennium Universal College (TMUC), Arslan Anwar, Head of Internal Audit, Master Tiles, Sarfraz Ahmed Nadeem, Chief Manager Faisalabad, State Bank of Pakistan, and Altaf Hussain, Depty Commissioner, Punjab Revenue Authority.

The event was supported by ACCA’s partner organisations including, Akhuwat Foundation, British Deputy High Commission Karachi, Sadaqat Limited, Khas Holding, Lahore Grammar School, TMUC, SKANS School of Accountancy, Sitara Labels, University of London, Adroit Accountancy, OBOX Accounting, and SOS Security.

ACCA will also be hosting a corporate networking conference on similar conversation themes in Multan on 13 March 2020.  

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The 3^rd and the last day of the 11^th Karachi Literature Festival drew a huge crowd of literature lovers who didn’t want to miss out any of the exciting sessions lined-up for the day.

The enthusiastic engagement of the festival visitors with the written word, authors, artists, and the literati is indicative of the inspiring ideas and debates the 11^th Karachi Literature Festival generated.

Several stimulating discussions were held on the 3^rd day including one titled ‘Urdu Adab ki Rang-a-Rang Jehtain’ with Azra Abbas, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Attiya Dawood, Masud Mufti, and Asghar Nadeem Syed.

Another popular session was ‘Student Politics in Pakistan: Back to the Future’ with Arooj Aurangzeb, Faisal Subzwari, Azhar Abbas, Khalid Amin, and Naghma Iqtidar as panellists and Nadeem Farooq Paracha as the moderator.

Another exciting session titled ‘Pakistani Cinema in the Twenty- First Century’ featured Faseeh Bari Khan, Saqib Malik, Faysal Qureshi, Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui, Bee Gul, and Sangeeta as speakers.

A discussion on ‘Karachi’s Literary Heritage: A Celebration’ took place featuring Ghazi Salahuddin, Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Peerzada Salman, Rumana Husain, and Maniza Naqvi as speakers. ‘Maps of Belonging’ was the title of a conversation between Muneeza Shamsie and the award-winning writer Ahdaf Soueif. A stimulating discussion was carried  out in the panel discussion on ‘Financial Inclusion and Women Empowerment’ between Reza Baqir, Ayesha Aziz, Ishrat Husain, and Muhammad Aurangzeb. The session ‘Kashmir: The Paradise Lost’ attracted a lot of attention. The panelists included Victoria Schofield, Athar Abbas, Mushaal Hussein Mullick, and Sardar Masood Khan.

A fun-filled session titled ‘Punching Up: Young Comedians Redefining Satire’ featured Shehzad Ghias, Ali Gul Pir, Natalia Gul, and Gul Zaib Shakeel. It was moderated by Hamna Zubair.

There were readings on ‘Asad Mohammad Khan: The Living Legend’ by Zia Mohyeddin.

 The topic of Media Crisis: Who is Responsible? was discussed by Azhar Abbas, Mubashir Zaidi, Owais Tohid and Sabrina Toppa.

The 3rd and final day of the Karachi Literature Festival concluded with a talk by the inimitable media person Javed Jabbar. It was titled ‘Mapping Pakistan’s Cultural Evolution over the Past 72 Years’ and highlighted the very imaginative, inspiring and uplifting journey of culture and art through Pakistan’s seven decades long existence.

The Chief Guest of the Closing Ceremony, Sardar Masood Khan, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while speaking on the occasion, said “Every year, Karachi Literature Festival creates a tremendous space for exchange of ideas and promotion of literature in Pakistan. It’s great to see that the festival organisers have created and sustained a literary space which was dying because of other available mediums.”

He added further, “I am glad to see that the attendees look satisfied and at peace, free enough to attend a literature festival. Unfortunately, people in occupied Kashmir do not have that luxury. I would also urge everyone to be politically correct and speak up for the Kashmiris because we are not just passive recipients of the news today, in fact we are all influencers.”

Speeches were also made by the Guest of Honour Mr Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner. Keynote speeches were made by Dr Ahdaf Soueif and Mr Harris Khalique, while a Vote of Thanks was delivered by the Festival Organizer, Mr Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan.

He said, “I think you will all agree that at least, here, at KLF, there have been numerous sessions where the burning issues of the day were deliberated on by the panellists. The 11th KLF has examined the emergence of fascist nationalism in many countries, one of the deadliest examples of which is our neighbour on the east. KLF participants have reviewed the recent dangerous twist to the Kashmir dispute and the miserable plight of the Kashmiri people. World peace is threatened by turmoil and deepening tensions in the Middle East. We have analysed the issues of student activism, urban decay, climate change and Karachi’s water woes, and Pakistan’s deeply regrettable Literacy and Education Crisis. Yes, clearly, the most consequential issues of our time have indeed been focused upon in the past two and a half days.”

In his concluding remarks, he thanked the speakers, panellists, and performers for being part of KLF’s 11^th edition; KLF Advisory Board members for their time, effort, and thought; to the media for their interest and enthusiasm; and last but not the least, to the audience who mark the success of KLF every year.