ISLAMABAD, Oct 30 (APP): Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas said it was need of the hour to bring Pakistan and the UK closer on cultural scene.
He said this in his opening remarks after opening the
first edition of Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) in London
at the BP Lecture Theatre of the British Museum, said a press
release received here Sunday.
Razi Ahmed, LLF’s founder and CEO along with his team
put together an impressive show featuring some of the finest
writers and opinion-makers from Pakistan, Britain Turkey and
elsewhere.
It was a well-attended event that attracted a large
number of writers, poets, artists, think tank notables,
students and media persons.
Terming the Lahore Literary Festival as an excellent
initiative of Razi Ahmed and his team, the envoy said that was
a way forward to build bridges between the two countries.
“Next year is the 70th Independence Anniversary of
Pakistan as well as that of the establishment of Pakistan, UK
diplomatic relations. The High Commission for Pakistan in
London has planned a series of events, the first of which will
kick start with our participation in the New Year Day Parade
in London. I invite you all and the LLF to be part of our
celebrations,” he said.
Speaking about latest developments in Pakistan and the
UK, the high commissioner said in Pakistan and UK some
momentous developments had taken place.
“We signed China Pakistan Economic Corridor last year in
which $46 billion Chinese investment will be coming to
Pakistan in energy and infrastructure sectors. Similarly, this
June, a very momentous development took place in this country
in the form of Brexit. We have to make the best of these
developments and opportunities on offer,” the high
commissioner said.
The LLF featured a wide range of topics including
literature, politics, literary legacy of Lahore, Kashmir:
reportage, politics and fiction, transforming education in
Pakistan, pop culture and readings of poetry and prose.
The delegates included Zia Mohyeddin, Elif Shafak, Razia
Iqbal, Andrew Whitehead, Farooq Bajwa, Mirza Waheed, Alex von
Tunzelmann, Andrew Lycett, F. S. Aijazuddin, Faiza Butt, Dr.
Amin Jaffer, Seema Aziz, Peter Oborne, Dr. Robin Niblett, Hina
Rabbani Khar, David Loyn, Lyse Doucet, Naiza Khan, Sarmad
Khoosat, Fifi Haroon, Ziauddin Sardar, Nesrine Malik, Aamer
Hussein, Ahsan Akbar, Ruth Padel and Ananya Jahanara Kabir.