Category: Education

Lahore –  The Citizens Foundation (TCF) had the honour to be the only non-profit from Pakistan to participate in the World Literacy Summit 2018 held on March 25-27, 2018 at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford University, UK. In line with this year’s theme, Nadia Naviwala, on behalf of TCF, presented a keynote speech explaining TCF’s work in the field of education for the less privileged children in Pakistan, specifically their Adult Literacy Programme Aagahi, which literally means ‘awareness’. TCF has been mentioned by ‘The Economist’ as perhaps the largest network of independently run not-for-profit schools in the world. Additionally, employing 12,000 women as an all-female faculty makes it the largest private sector women employer in Pakistan.

The Aagahi programme aims at creating meaningful interventions to impart basic reading and writing skills to older women and young girls who have never been to school before.

In her keynote speech titled, “Getting 10,000 Mothers & Out-of-School Girls to Literacy & Numeracy Every Year in Pakistan,” Nadia Naviwala, an advisor to The Citizens Foundation and a fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center, informed the audience about TCF’s large-scale effort to address the education crisis in Pakistan, where almost half of the country’s population is illiterate.

Talking about TCF model, Nadia said, “TCF sustains on philanthropy. TCF was started by a group of CEOs in 1995. They sat down at a table armed with pencil, paper, and made lists of problems that Pakistan has: health, poverty, female disempowerment, and intolerance. And they decided that the root of all these problems was a lack of access to education. They agreed on a crazy, unrealistic goal: to build 1,000 schools in Pakistan. But there was one stipulation: That these would not be poor schools for poor children.”

She further added, “A Pew survey has found that parents in Pakistan believe that schooling is equally import for girls and boys. But there are real barriers, such as the distance to school, the presence of male teachers, and the expense. If you solve for these problems, as TCF has done, you will end up with an equal ratio of boys and girls in schools. Even beyond TCF, the gender gap has narrowed in parts of Pakistan. TCF is too good to be true. And I’ll tell you that if you’re looking for a catch, there isn’t one. But I’ll also tell you that the people who work at TCF are never satisfied. We’re constantly innovating and implementing new systems to improve the quality of education in our schools and figuring out ways to expand our impact.”

“Aagahi meaning ‘Awareness’ is a female adult literacy program that is run in our schools after school and in community spaces, which are often women’s homes. We started it because teachers were sending home notes with the kids that mothers couldn’t read. And in parent-teacher meetings, mothers admitted that they couldn’t read or understand their children’s homework. Parent-teacher meetings are actually where we recruit women into the program. And over time, as women see other women walking to school, they join in. And that’s how the program grows. Every year, we get 11,000 women and girls to literacy, numeracy, and basic life skills through 800 centers across the country,” Nadia explained.

In 2008, the people behind the World Literacy Foundation conceived the idea of a World Literacy Summit. This global event was envisaged to provide leaders in the developed and developing world, the opportunity to come together, and form an action plan which would build long term, sustainable solutions to reduce the global crisis of illiteracy. This year’s theme of the conference, ‘Closing the literacy gap in the 21^st Century,’ is set to initiate discussion, collaboration and bring forward solutions to help 750 million people globally who are unable to read or write.

The non-profit organisation is providing quality education to 220,000 children through nearly 1,500 purpose-built school units located in the heart of Pakistan’s urban slums and rural communities.  The organisation ensures that girls represent nearly 50 per cent of overall student enrolment.

Lahore – For the first time a 3-day Children’s Literature Festival – CLF was organised by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi at the Balochistan Residential College (BRC) Turbat.  The festival was inaugurated by Mrs. Asim Bajwa, wife of Commander Southern Command. A large number of children, from Turbat, Panjgur and remote areas like Pasni participated in the festival. Former Minister Ms. Zubaida Jalal played a vital role in the organisation of the festival while the wife of Director General FC South, and other women also attended the festival.

Founder of Children’s Literature Festival (CLF) and Trustee of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, Baela Raza Jamil expressed her happiness and said “It is very encouraging to see that the children of Turbat and other areas are aware and want access to better education facilities. Organizing a successful festival at Turbat is like a dream come true”, she added.

Former Federal Minister Zubaida Jalal said that Balochistan is the centre of traditions. “Meri Qila, Mehar Garh and Nani Mandir have been reflecting our true heritage & customs of Baloch civilizations for thousands of years”. She said that it is necessary to project the historic traditions and create awareness among the children. The last children’s event was held in 2011 and we will work together to have more such ones. She also said that we have to increase the habit of learning and make amendments in our curriculum to promote peace and tolerance.     

At the festival, several awareness sessions were conducted for the children in different halls of BRC. The session halls were given names from local tradition as Meri Qila, Haji Jalal Khan Rind, Mehar Garh, Gul Khan Naseer, Princess of Hope, Atha Shadh, Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi, Shahi Tump, Mullah Fazul, Mir Chakar Khan and Gidaan.

In the session Today’s Readers, Tomorrow’s Leaders Rumana Hussain, Zubaida Jalal and Raheela Baqai, informed the enthusiastic students about the importance of reading and how it broadens not only ones vision but opens up the heart and mind. With the availability of e-books online, access has become easier. The session was moderated by Khursheed Hyder.

Eminent journalist and author Zubeida Mustafa spoke at the session Sunno, Dekho aur Bolo.  The session was interactive as children asked the author many questions.  Raheela Baqai from OUP informed the keen participants that there is more than just writing and publishing a book. Bookmaking too can be considered an art and she explained the various stages that go into the making of a book. Another star attraction at the festival was Atif Badar who had the children’s attention in an interactive talk the various stages of theatre productions .

A special session regarding formal education in Madrassahs was organised by the Balochistan Rural Support Program hosted. The panelists were Ms. Zubaida Jalal and Nadir Gul Barrech (CEO, BRSP). The session focused on the need of formal education in Madrassahs to help the counter extremism narrative.

One of the attractions at the CLF Turbat was the unique 3D images and sand art, in which the images seem realistic.  Creations by Zubair Mukhtar, Bahar Ali Gauhar and Hussain Zeb the trio from Pasni were on display on the BRC grounds. Excited children were seen at the stalls with the photography exhibition, the making of traditional Baloch music instruments and local embroideries.

The chief guest at the closing ceremony was Begum Qamar Bajwa, wife of Chief of Army Staff. She was welcomed by Ms. Zubaida Jalal and Ms. Baela Raza Jamil. The chief guest stressed on the importance of education and appreciated the organizers for arranging such a wonderful festival for the children of the Makran belt.  She visited the activity stalls and distributed prizes among winning students.

Lahore – The “6th edition of Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF 2018) will be held in November 2018”. This was announced by Ameena Saiyid, Chair, Oxford University Press, and Founder/Director, Karachi and Islamabad Literature Festivals.

The Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF), founded by Ameena Saiyid and Asif Farrukhi and organized by Oxford University Press was launched in April 2013 and has been a resounding success from the start. Inspired by the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), the ILF has also become a much-awaited annual event and a landmark in the cultural history of Islamabad.

ILF has grown rapidly over time. Attendance rose from 10,000 to more than 100,000 in 2017. Encouraged by this wonderful, on-going success, the 6th ILF will now be organized in November 2018.

Through dialogue and discussion, readings and renderings, the ILF has created an intellectual space in which the diversity and pluralism in Pakistan’s society and that expressed by over a hundred Pakistani and international authors is greatly appreciated by the Islamabad participants. The regulars at the Festival are debates, panel discussions, talks, a mushaira (Urdu poetry recital), a book fair, book launches, readings, author signings, and much more.

The ILF also provides sponsors a unique, high profile platform to show their commitment to the promotion of literature, education, reading, and culture.

Lahore – Roshan Rahain an ambitious young, non-profit organization is committed to educating children using alternate forms of art and has launched first-of-a-kind financial literacy program in Pakistan with support from Jubilee Life Insurance. The Program will teach children about the importance of savings, techniques of managing day-to-day transactions, handling cash and much more using the medium of music and other engaging activities along with role playing.  Pakistan has the lowest financial access in the world. About 100 million adults in Pakistan (roughly about 80% of country’s population) don’t have access to formal and regulated financial services. This number accounts for about 5% of the world’s unbanked population, which stands at 2 billion, as per the World Bank (WB). The lack of financial access creates multiple problems for people including having to face financial shocks, unexpected expenses and being excluded from savings services.

Jubilee Life Insurance supports Roshan Rahain for a 3-month long program, Roshan Rahain’s team reached out to approximately 3,000 children from different schools in Lahore as well as from institutions that are working with underprivileged children. During the project, the team visited numerous schools including Lahore Grammar School, Aitichson School, Door of Awareness & Sharif Education Trust, Rosan Islamic School, SOS Village, in total the Roshan Rahain team visited around 15 schools both private & public.

Speaking at the activity session, the coordinator of Lahore Grammar School commented “The activities conducted by Roshan Rahain were extremely creative and the role playing idea was superb as kids not only enjoyed themselves but also learned a lot through these activities”. A representative from the Sharif Education Trust said “We need more of these activities & educational sessions, the use of music to learn financial literacy was very creative and this is an important subject for children in these times especially”.

Founder of Roshan Rahain, Shaigan Azhar shared “Children have a great ability to learn new things. The use of music and other techniques has proven impact on their ability to learn. We are extremely thankful to our sponsors & schools for believing in us and helping us reach out to children. Moving on, we hope to expand our reach to other cities of Pakistan reaching as many children as possible”.

Jubilee Insurance is a global brand of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) that offers diverse insurance solutions (life, health and general) in the Asian and East African markets. Being one of the fastest growing life insurance companies in Pakistan, Jubilee Life boasts a presence in every major city in the country. They employ a highly trained sales force of more than 3500 individuals who help insure millions of lives through relations with a large number of organizations across Pakistan.  Jubilee Life is the only company with the largest gross premiums written and has insured over 5 million lives through multiple channels of distribution. The company is backed by one of the world’s largest and strongest insurers, SCOR RE and HANNOVER RE.

 

 

 

Karachi – The 9th Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), the country’s most anticipated literary event, is scheduled to be held on 9, 10, and 11 February 2018 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi. A vibrant programme of talks, interviews, panel discussions, readings, book launches, English poetry readings/slam, Urdu mushaira, Sindhi mushairo, stand-up comedy, author signings, performing arts, film screenings, open mic, book fair, and literary awards has been lined up. With ideas and subjects as diverse as cricket, child abuse, writing autobiographies, and pop culture being explored at the KLF, the event promises to be a literary and cultural feast.

Around 200 Pakistani and 30 international authors and speakers from ten countries will participate. Francis Robinson and Noorul Huda Shah will be the keynote speakers at the inauguration and the closing ceremony will be addressed by Anwar Maqsood, Amit Chaudhuri and Mani Shankar Aiyar. There will be 26 book launches and more than 70 sessions. This was announced by Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director, Oxford University Press (OUP), and Founder/Director, Karachi Literature Festival, and Co-founder, Children’s Literature Festival, at a press conference.

Among the many literary luminaries, academics, and intellectuals participating are Abdul Malik Baloch, Ahad Raza Mir, Amir Adnan, Amin Hashwani, Arfa Sayeda Zehra, Arieb Azhar, Arif Hasan, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Asif Raza Mir, Attiya Dawood, Bari Mian, Bushra Ansari, F.S. Aijazuddin, Fasi Zaka, Hafiz Pasha, Hameed Haroon, Hamid Khan, Harris Khalique, Huma Baqai, I.A. Rehman, Iftikhar Arif, Imdad Hussaini, Iqbal Akhund, Irfan Khoosat, Ishrat Husain, Izhar Soomro, Javed Jabbar, Kaiser Bengali, Kamran Asdar Ali, Kami Chouhdry, Kishwar Naheed, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Mehreen Jabbar, Mohammad Zubair, Mujahid Barelvi, Nadeem F. Paracha, Nadeem Hussain, Nafisa Shah, Neelam Basheer, Pervez Hoodbhoy, Raza Rabbani, Sabyn Javeri, Salman Ahmad, Samina Ahmed, Sania Saeed, Sarmad Khoosat, Shaharyar M. Khan, Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Sheema Kermani, Sima Kamil, Syed Salim Raza, Syeda Abida Hussain, Wasif Rizvi, Zafar Hilaly, Zarrar Khuhro, Zia Mohyeddin, and Zubeida Mustafa.

Kesho Scott, Tahira Naqvi, A.G. Noorani, Saif Mahmood, Sheela Reddy, Y Venugopal Reddy, Amarjit Chandan, Isambard Wilkinson, José Oliver, Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, Ibrahim Waheed Ogaru, Aurélie Salvaire, Amardeep Singh, Claire Chambers, Kamila Shamsie, Qaisra Shahraz, and Victoria Schofield are some of the international authors participating in the festival. 

“Karachi Literature Festival, the ninth in this city, is like a beacon whose light spreads out far beyond the grounds of the Beach Luxury Hotel—indeed, far beyond this city and country,” said Ameena Saiyid. “The Festival has grown rapidly. Attendance rose from roughly 5,000 in 2010 to 200,000 in 2017” she added

While talking to the media, Ameena Saiyid mentioned that four prizes are awarded at KLF every year. These include the KLF-Pepsi Non-Fiction Prize, KLF-Getz Pharma Fiction Prize, KLF-German Peace Prize (Consulate General of Germany), KLF-Infaq Foundation Urdu Literature Prize, and Italy Reads Pakistan Award (sponsored by the Consulate of Italy). The submissions received for the prizes are evaluated by panels of jury members comprising eminent critics, writers, and scholars. Books shortlisted for these prizes were announced at the press conference.

The three books shortlisted for the KLF-Pepsi Non-Fiction Prize are Lahore in the Time of the Raj by Ian Talbot and Tahir Kamran; Urban Traditions and Historic Environments in Sindh by Anila Naeem; and Imagining Pakistan by Rasul Bakhsh Rais. The KLF-Pepsi Non-Fiction Prize of Rs 250,000 goes to the best non-fiction book originally written in English in 2016-2017 by a Pakistani or Pakistan-origin foreign national.

The KLF-Getz Pharma Fiction Prize will be awarded to the best novel or short story collection originally written in English in 2016-2017. The author (a Pakistani or a Pakistani-origin foreign national) will be awarded Rs 300,000. The Party Worker by Omar Shahid Hamid; Exit West by Mohsin Hamid; and Snuffing out the Moon by Osama Siddique are the three books shortlisted for this prize.

Prison Narratives by Akhtar Baloch; Indus Waters Treaty: Political and Legal Dimensions by Ijaz Hussain; and Imagining Pakistan by Rasul Bakhsh Rais are the three books shortlisted for the KLF-German Peace Prize which is a joint project of the Consulate General of Germany in Karachi and KLF. The first prize of 3000 euros is given to a fiction or non-fiction book that promotes peace, tolerance, and international understanding, written by a Pakistani or a Pakistani-origin foreign national, or any foreign national residing in Pakistan.

The KLF-Infaq Foundation Urdu Literature Prize of Rs 200,000 will be awarded to the best book of prose or poetry in Urdu. The books shortlisted for this prize include Deed wa Deed by Altaf Fatima; Qila e Faramoshi by Fahmida Riaz; and Aatey Hai Ghaib Sey by Anwar Sha’oor.

“KLF is not merely a local affair. With participants and visitors from all over the country, from all four provinces and all of our major cities, this is truly an all-Pakistan event. More so, with participants from UK, USA, Germany, Maldives, France, India, Singapore, Italy, and Canada, it is truly an international event,” said Asif Farrukhi, Co-founder of the Karachi Literature Festival.

This year Pepsi Co is the title sponsor of the event. Sponsorship is also provided by Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL); United Bank Limited (UBL); Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karachi; Goethe-Institut; Embassy of France; Alliance Francaise;  British Council; U.S. Consulate General, Karachi; Getz Pharma; Infaq Foundation; Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung; Tapal Tea; Habib University; LUMS; I AM KARACHI; and TV One.

Karachi–The Citizens Foundation (TCF), the non-profit organization set out to bring positive social change through education got special recognition on The Economist for their extensive educational reforms.

TCF was recognized as the largest network of independently run schools in the world, educating 204,000 pupils at not-for-profit schools. It is also Pakistan’s largest single employer of women outside the public sector; in an effort to make girls feel safer in class, all of TCF’s 12,000 teachers are female.

According to Economic Times, “In 2016, TCF opened its first “college” for 17- and 18-year-olds at this campus in an attempt to keep smart poor pupils in school longer. Every day it buses 400 college pupils in from around the city. It builds schools using a standard template, typically raising about $250,000 for each of them from donors; it recruits and trains teachers; and it writes its own curriculums.”

“It is also Pakistan’s largest single employer of women outside the public sector; in an effort to make girls feel safer in class, all of TCF’s 12,000 teachers are female. At its Shirin Sultan Dossa branch near a slum on the outskirts of Karachi, one girl is more than holding her own. At break-time on the makeshift cricket pitch she is knocking boys’ spin-bowling out of the playground,” the article further stated.

Islamabad  – This year, over 200 students from different cities achieved Pearson-Edexcel awards in four different categories including World, Region, Country and Province. These students achieved recognition in global qualifications. In recognition of student’s efforts, a small ceremony was organized by Pearson in Islamabad to present them with medals and shields. The outstanding performance awards have been given to students who obtained eight ‘A’ and above Grades in International GCSE and A-Level. Froebel’s Higher Learning Islamabad, Kohinoor Grammar School
Faisalabad, Ems High School Islamabad, British Overseas School Karachi, Beacon Light Academy Karachi, Roots IVY International School, Roots Millennium Schools, Beaconhouse School Lahore, Lahore Grammar School students achieved Top in World category.
The Pearson High Achievers Awards was attended by Mr. Faisal Mahmood, Country Manager-Pearson, Mr. James Hampson, Acting Country Director, British Council, Mr. Hassan Khattak Director Exams British Council Pakistan, Mr. Waqar Shah Commercial Manager, high achievers including teachers, schools, parents and distinguished guests. In addition to this, more than 40 teachers have been given Best Performance Award to recognize their efforts. The outstanding
performance awards have been given to students who obtained eight ‘A’ and above Grades in International GCSE and A-Level. Pearson is UK’s largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications in collaboration with the British Council hosted Academic Award Ceremony here today for the students who achieved outstanding results in their primary, International GCSE and A Level examinations in 2017. Mr. James Hampson, Acting Country Director, British Council recognized the efforts of teachers and students for academic excellence. He said that, the UK Government will ensure to create opportunities for Pakistani students to introduce foreign qualifications. The qualifications offered by Pearson-Edexcel strengthening state of education in the country. Mr. Rod Bristo President Pearson UK and Core Team said, Pakistan is important country because we invest here and have high achievers in the country, they are continuously perform well in their exams. I am thankful to British council for their partnership with Pearson and it is really valued for us. I would like to congratulate the high achievers, teachers and families. In a welcome note, Mr. Faisal Mahmood said, the High Achievers Awards Ceremony is a special occasion, which provides an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of some of the most talented students in Pakistan. The students recognised today have achieved results that compare well with students all over the world; students in Pakistan have been achieving outstanding results consistently over the years. While we focus on celebrating students in this ceremony, there are many other people who we recognise at the same time – whose support and commitment has made these achievements possible. We thank and celebrate the collective efforts of school management and especially teachers.

Lahore –  Kiran Sitara Program, IRD and Indus Health Network in collaboration with the Department of Education, Government of Sindh organized a conference  “She Leads” at the PAF ground on 16^th December 2017.  ‘She Leads’ conference was conducted to highlight and celebrate the success of young students participated in the Kiran Sitara program.  This initiative is an Adolescent Health and Leadership program which mobilizes young girls at government schools and private schools across Pakistan. By teaching adolescent students skills such as communication, negotiation, leadership, human rights and combining that with basic health care knowledge and directives, the Kiran Sitara is creating a network of social impact leaders.

Mr. Qadeer Baig, Director of Youth Engagement Program, IRD while addressing at the conference said that “The Kiran Sitara program is currently working with over 200 schools across Pakistan and over 30,000 girls who have successfully completed their healthcare and leadership training. The goal is to impact 200,000 households and 1.5 Million difficult to access people in low income communities across Karachi, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Lahore.”

Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Indus Health Network stated, “Approximately 50% of Pakistan’s total population comprises of women but unfortunately, in many communities women are not given equal access to quality education and opportunities. He further stated that, “building a network of trained and active adolescent school going girls through this initiative will enable us to access, women living in those communities and educate them to promote behavior change for healthier lifestyles.”

While speaking at the conference, the Chief Minister Sindh – Syed Murad Ali Shah stated, “The Kiran Sitara program aims to enhance leadership skills of adolescent students by providing trainings to improve  their confidence, improve educational performance and ameliorate their communication competency.” He further added, “These networks can be further utilized to influence their communities to promote social causes. The ability of young people to connect and counsel each other allows them to share and scale their own solutions.”

The conference was attended by more than 10,000 Kiran Sitara students of Secondary Education schools, teachers and members of Department of Education, Sindh Government. While giving a speech in the conference, students and teachers suggested that such a program needs to be part of the school curriculum so that all students can get the opportunity to participate in promoting healthcare in Pakistan.

Currently the Kiran Sitara program is training adolescent girls how to identify basic symptoms of TB and training them to send people to key healthcare facilities for further testing.  By harnessing the potential of students and schools as “Actors of Social Change”, this indigenous community outreach campaign is designed as part of Aoa Tb Mitao campaign to increase uptake of screening and treatment services for a TB free Pakistan. Each girl is responsible  to conduct verbal screenings in at least 20-25 households in her neighborhood, provide referral tokens to diagnosed patients for clinical programs at public and private institutions for free TB care and treatment. In this way, this initiative can succeed in fulfilling the goals of TB Mitao Program.

The conference was also attended by Mr. Younis Khan, a former Pakistani Cricketer and a brand ambassador of ‘Aao TB Mitao’ initiative, who acknowledged the efforts of these young girls. Shehzad Roy, a musician and a humanitarian, also performed at the event and entertained the audience with his soulful voice.

Lahore  –  The ninth Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) will be held on 9, 10, and 11 February 2018 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi. KLF brings together and celebrates Pakistani and international authors writing in diverse languages. The festival will feature talks, panel discussions, readings, book launches, English and Urdu mushaira, satire, author signings, performing arts, film screenings, book fair, literary awards, and a food court. This was announced by Ameena Saiyid OBE, Managing Director, Oxford University Press (OUP), and Founder/Director, Karachi and Islamabad Literature Festivals, and Co-founder, Children’s Literature Festival, at a press conference at the Arts Council. Around 131 Pakistani and 30 international authors and speakers from nine countries will participate in the upcoming KLF. Around 19 book launches and more than 60 sessions are planned for the festival.

Ameena Saiyid gave an overview of the four prizes instituted by KLF in collaboration with corporate entities and foreign missions. These annual prizes are awarded to books in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, peace, and Urdu. The books are assessed by panels of juries comprising Pakistani academics, critics, and writers. This year the prizes include KLF-Pepsi Non-Fiction Prize, KLF-Getz Pharma Fiction Prize, KLF Peace Prize (Consulate General of Germany), and KLF-Infaq Foundation Urdu Literature Prize.

The KLF-Pepsi Non-Fiction Prize of Rs 250,000 goes to the best non-fiction book originally written in English by a Pakistani or Pakistan-origin foreign national. The books long listed for this prize include Lahore in the Time of Raj by Ian Talbot and Tahir Kamran, How Pakistan Got Divided by Rao Farman Ali Khan, A History of the Judiciary by Hamid Khan, Urban Traditions and Historic Environments in Sindh by Anila Naeem, Imagining Pakistan by Rasul Bakhsh Rais, and Honour Unmasked by Nafisa Shah.

The KLF-Getz Pharma Fiction Prize goes to the best fiction written originally in English. The author (a Pakistani or a Pakistani-origin foreign national) of the best novel or short story collection will be awarded Rs 300,000. The long list of books announced for this prize includes The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, The Party Worker by Omar Shahid Hamid, This House of Clay and Water by Faiqa Mansab, Daddy’s Boy by Shandana Minhas, Boy of Fire and Earth by Sami Shah, Snuffing out the Moon by Osama Siddique, and Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie.

The KLF Peace Prize of 3000 euros is a joint project of Consulate General of Germany in Karachi and the Karachi Literature Festival. It awards a fiction or non-fiction book that promotes peace, tolerance, and international understanding, written by a Pakistani or a Pakistani-origin foreign national, or any foreign national residing in Pakistan. The books long listed for the Peace Prize are Love in Chakiwara and Other Misadventures by Muhammad Khalid Akhtar, Prison Narratives by Akhtar Baloch, Indus Waters Treaty: Political and Legal Dimensions by Ijaz Hussain, This House of Clay and Water by Faiqa Mansab; and Imagining Pakistan by Rasul Bakhsh Rais, and Islamophobia and Securitization by Tania Saeed.

The KLF-Infaq Foundation Urdu Literature Prize goes to the best book in Urdu. The prize of Rs 200,000 will be given to a book of prose or poetry. The long-listed books include Deed wa Deed by Altaf Fatima, Neeli Baar by Tahira Iqbal, Rail ki Seeti by Muhammad Hasan Mairaaj, Qila e Faramoshi by Fahmida Riaz, Urdu Hindi Tanazi’a aur Punjabi Zabaan by Naveed Shahzad, and Aatey Hai Ghaib Sey by Anwar Sha’oor.

“The annual Karachi Literature Festival is about the promotion of reading, writing, and authors, and of bringing enrichment to people’s minds. With participants and visitors from all over the country, this is truly an all-Pakistan event. More so, with participants from different countries around the world, it is truly an international event. As always the entry to the event will be free,” said Asif Farrukhi, Co-founder of the Karachi Literature Festival.

This year PepsiCo is the title sponsor of the event. Sponsorship support is also provided by Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL); United Bank Limited (UBL); British Council; Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karachi; Goethe Institute, Karachi; Embassy of France, Karachi; Getz Pharma; Infaq Foundation; Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS); TVOne Pakistan; Habib University; and Ronak Lakhani.