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,’ focusing on conflict and climate crises.
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 emphasized the need to revisit the Constitution and amend it constructively. 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 the implementation of local body 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 regarding the significance of consistency, continuity, and predictability in policy-making. Moreover, he emphasized ensuring that policy content was not driven by ideology.
During his talk, WWF-International President Dr. Adil Najam emphasized 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 organizing events where the audience had 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 hindrance. Thinkfest is a platform that has provided that space to both 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 11 a.m. with a plenary session with former federal climate change minister Senator Sherry Rehman. The entire event is free and open to the public.
