Lahore 2024

The 7th Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest was held in Lahore on January 13–14, 2024, drawing over 20,000 participants over two days of intense dialogue and debate. The festival opened with a powerful discussion on Pakistan’s need for a new social contract, featuring Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and Miftah Ismail, and continued with sessions on climate change led by WWF International President Dr Adil Najam, Professor Naveeda Khan, and Rafay Alam. Challenges to education and intellectual life were explored in panels on higher education, Pakistan’s 25 million out-of-school children, and the contemporary struggles of the Muslim world with Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy. Politics was at the forefront with conversations on Pakistan’s elections featuring representatives from PMLN, PPP, and PTI, as well as journalists like Hamid Mir, Afrasiab Khattak, Murtaza Solangi, and Najam Sethi. India’s elections also drew attention with Siddharth Vardarajan, Audrey Truschke, and Pratinav Anil examining Modi’s government, Indian Muslims, and the Emergency years.

The economy and regional geopolitics dominated several sessions, from Dr Ishrat Husain’s comparative study of South Asia to discussions on the IMF with Finance Secretary Imdad Bosal, energy challenges with Power Secretary Rashid Langrial, and privatisation with Fawad Hasan Fawad and Dr Taimur Rahman. Book launches were a central feature, with significant works by Ali Usman Qasmi, SherAli Tareen, Waleed Ziad, Aisha Sarwari, Osama Siddiqi, Pippa Virdee, and Leyla Jagiella, among many others. The war in Gaza resonated deeply through panels with Leila Hatoum, Max Hess, and Ejaz Haider, linking local concerns to global crises. With 49 panels, 23 book launches, and contributions from leading intellectuals, politicians, journalists, and activists, ThinkFest 2024 reaffirmed its role as Pakistan’s premier space for thought-provoking, inclusive, and globally connected dialogue.