Lahore 2020

The Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest 2020 took place at the Alhamra Arts Centre, Lahore, on January 11–12, bringing together more than 150 speakers across nearly 50 panels, alongside a special exhibition on travel in Punjab and a free concert by singer Ali Sethi. The festival opened with a keynote by Sir Mark Lyall Grant, former UK National Security Advisor and High Commissioner to Pakistan, in conversation with journalist Ahmad Rashid on the future of nation-states in an era where transnational corporations and digital media wield unprecedented influence.

Day one featured wide-ranging discussions on politics, governance, and history. Kashmir was at the forefront in a panel with AJK President Sardar Masood Khan, Hina Rabbani Khar, and Ejaz Haider, while local government reforms were debated by Shehzad Arbab, Syed Mustafa Kamal, and Mani Shankar Aiyar. Parliament’s role in Pakistan was scrutinised by Khurram Dastagir Khan, Javed Jabbar, and Ahmed Bilal Mehboob. The day also saw multiple book launches, including Farhat Haq’s The State and Sharia in Pakistan, Andrew Whitehead’s biography of Freda Bedi, and Kim Wagner’s study of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Meanwhile, the exhibition Unveiling Punjab showcased the province’s rich heritage, crafts, and landscapes through interactive displays and curated panels on smog, conservation, and religious tourism.

Day two began with Nobel Laureate Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, delivering a keynote on his book The Gene Machine in conversation with Dr Natasha Anwar, sparking dialogue on science and research in Pakistan. Dr Moeed Yousuf presented Pakistan’s evolving national security policy, while a high-profile economic session with former finance ministers Hafiz Pasha, Salman Shah, and Miftah Ismail, moderated by Savail Hussain, explored the recurring crises in Pakistan’s economy. The day also featured book launches such as Simon Fuchs’ In a Pure Muslim Land, Jamil Jan Kochai’s novel 99 Nights in Logar, Sarbpreet Singh’s The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia, and Shandana Mohmand’s Crafty Oligarchs, Savvy Voters, among others.