Thinkfest Invites Everyone To 'Come, Think And Question'
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 13, 2024 | 07:24 PM
The seventh edition of Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest began in Lahore at Alhamrah Arts Council, inviting people from all walks of life to "Come, think and question" on all topics ranging from sociopolitical to economic and from cultural to climate change
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2024) The seventh edition of Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest began in Lahore at Alhamrah Arts Council, inviting people from all walks of life to "Come, think and question" on all topics ranging from sociopolitical to economic and from cultural to climate change. This year's theme is 'Winter of discontent' with a focus on conflict and the climate crisis.
The inaugural sessions of the two-day event were attended by prominent speakers from around the world and Pakistan.
The event started with a panel discussion titled “Re-imagining Pakistan: Exploring the Need for a New Social Contract”, where former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former finance minister Dr. Miftah Ismail highlighted the importance of intellectual discourse in Pakistan. Shahid Khaqan emphasised the need to revisit the Constitution and amend it in a constructive manner. He highlighted the existing gap between the state and its people, suggesting that a new social contract might be necessary for effective governance. Both panelists agreed that empowering local governments was crucial for combating corruption. They praised implementation of local bodies systems by General Musharraf and stressed the need for education to address corruption effectively.
Another panel titled "Development Pathways: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, 1947-2022", where former finance minister Dr. Ishrat Hussain, renowned economist Savail Hussain, and Dr. Turab Hussain, gave an overview of economic development in Pakistan since 1947. Dr. Ishrat expressed some concerns and presented some recommendations, referring to significance of consistency, continuity, and predictability in policy-making. Moreover, he emphasised ensuring that policy content was not driven by ideology.
WWF-International President Dr. Adil Najam, during his talk, emphasised the need for climate action in Pakistan in the wake of the ongoing climatic crisis.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Afkar-e-Taza Thinkfest Dr Yaqoob Bangash stressed the need for organising events where the audience had a complete access to the panelists for a healthy discussion. “Our idea is to start a discussion within our society where people can share ideas and knowledge without any hindrance. Thinkfest is a platform that has been providing that space both to the audience and the participants for the past seven years,” he said.
The list of notable speakers at the ThinkFest 2024 included: Adil Najam from Boston University, Faisal Bari, S. Akbar Zaidi from IBA Karachi, Ali Usman Qasmi from LUMS, Ishrat Hussain, Senator Musadik Malik, Ali Cheema, journalist Ejaz Haider, former finance minister Salman Shah, Aisha Sarwari, Fawad Hassan Fawad, Salman Akram Raja, Murtaza Solangi, Hamid Mir, Ammar Ali Jan, Salima Hashmi and Raza Ali Dada.
Among the foreign speakers were: Ahmet Kuru from San Diego State University, Juergen Frembgen from Germany, Pippa Virdee from De Montfort University in the UK, Laurence Gautier from CSH Delhi, Sher Ali Tareen from Franklin & Marshall College, Max Hess, Waleed Ziad from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Leila Hatoum from Lebanon, Leyla Jaigella from Germany, Abraham Murad from the University of Oxford, Audrey Truschke from Rutgers University, Siddharth Varadarajan from The Wire in India, Manuel Lima, Amardeep Singh, Rebecca Nixon from the University of Delaware, Pratinav Anil from the University of Oxford and J. Barton Scott from the University of Toronto.
Day 2 of the event would commence on Sunday (today) at 11am with a plenary session with former federal climate change minister Senator Sherry Rehman. The entire event is free and open to the public.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Bugti assures transporters for addressing their problems
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar meets foreign min ..
3 drug peddlers arrested, hashish recovered
1496,990 children given polio drops in five days: DC
Six terrorists killed, hideout busted in N Waziristan IBO: ISPR
Pakistan, Qatar agree to further expand trade, investment ties
Sindh cabinet approves Rs177.5m to strengthen, mobilize various wings of police
Faisal Karim Kundi takes oath as new KP Governor
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Chaudhry seeks more vibrant ..
Tahaffuz Manzil Foster Home providing care & support to homeless children
PCB proposes April 7 -May 20 window; tweaks in rules for HBL PSL 2025
Field hospitals now operational across Punjab: Azma Bukhari
More Stories From Pakistan
-
Anwaar urges religious scholars to play role in fostering unity, solidarity
3 hours ago -
Bugti assures transporters for addressing their problems
3 hours ago -
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar meets foreign minister of Egypt
4 hours ago -
3 drug peddlers arrested, hashish recovered
3 hours ago -
1496,990 children given polio drops in five days: DC
3 hours ago -
Six terrorists killed, hideout busted in N Waziristan IBO: ISPR
3 hours ago
-
Pakistan, Qatar agree to further expand trade, investment ties
4 hours ago -
Sindh cabinet approves Rs177.5m to strengthen, mobilize various wings of police
3 hours ago -
Faisal Karim Kundi takes oath as new KP Governor
3 hours ago -
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Chaudhry seeks more vibrant role of lawyers for ..
3 hours ago -
Tahaffuz Manzil Foster Home providing care & support to homeless children
3 hours ago -
Field hospitals now operational across Punjab: Azma Bukhari
3 hours ago