Dawn Images

The 17th International Urdu Conference will be held from December 5 to December 8 in the metropolis and the event is going to celebrate the city of Karachi.

This was announced by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi President Ahmed Shah at a press conference on Monday evening.

Shah said recently the council held the world’s longest-running international festival (for 38 days). Before that, there used to be travel advisories for Pakistan but the festival changed that perception about the country. Artists from all over the world participated in the festival.

“Now that the city of Karachi has become the centre of culture in the region, it doesn’t have to do with the council itself, the media has also played a part in it.”

He said for the Urdu conference this year’s iteration, his team thought that previously the moot had focused on the entire world.

“This time we’re paying a tribute to Karachi. This means the city’s past, how it was made, its architecture, its TV, its historians, etc… all will be discussed. There’s a session on the painters of Karachi, ranging from Sadequain to Gulgee and from Bashir Mirza to Shahid Sajjad. One session will home in on the city’s musicians, from Sohail Rana to Nisar Bazmi and from Mehdi Hasan to Mehnaz. Similarly, theatre and film will be analysed.”

Shah also mentioned an open-ended session called Shehrnama in which people will share their memories of how the city’s bustling cultural life once existed. For example, its coffee houses and other spaces where people used to gather. The benefactors of Karachi are also there, such as those who helped construct recreational spots and educational institutions.

“It is a serious conference but we have also been confronted by a problem which is how to engage our coming generations with the Urdu language. Therefore, we have included a number of celebrity sessions, which will feature actors (Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed and others) and singers (like Asim Azhar). Apart from that, we will be talking about the new challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) which will impact each one of us, especially the creative lot. The world is changing quickly and it’s going to affect everyone,” he said.

Shah said the council has invited writers and poets from India, too. If they’re unable to come, they will take part in the moot online.

He added the council is taking big steps because of which it needs more space. In that connection, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has agreed to make Fayzee Rahimin Gallery a part of the council soon.

Eminent poet Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui said he’s been taking part in the conference ever since its first edition in 2008. The council needs to be praised for it, but Shah has a huge role in it because he has a vision and a mission, he said.

*Originally published in Dawn, November 19th, 2024*