Adab Festival.

APROPOS the editorial 'Learning fests' (Feb 3) and the numerous reports on the First Adab Festival Pakistan in Karachi. The two co-organisers, lead sponsor and co-sponsors and the whole team deserve felicitations on presenting an interesting programme at relatively short notice.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Adab Festival Pakistan was that it was the first time in Pakistan's history that the premises of a state institution i.e. Sindh Governor House, were used for this purpose. It was refreshingly easy for all citizens possessing NIC cards to enter and exit without the normal, strict security protocols. Even more remarkable: there was complete freedom of expression, including candid criticism of the military in multiple sessions held on State premises!

While the event was reasonably well-attended, there were plenty of empty chairs in many sessions including in the main pavilion. The organisers over-estimated the willingness of the chattering classes to give up their obsessions with eating out and shopping in order to benefit from this event.

Dawn covered some of the major sessions well, but coverage was quite lop-sided in favour of two or three sessions while totally omitting even passing reference to several remarkable sessions. e.g. the screening of, and discussion about the award-winning first Pakistani documentary made in the Wakhi...