ADAB FESTIVAL (4TH EDITION)

Frere Hall, Karachi. Saturday, 26 and Sunday, 27 November 2022

*Adab Fest organizers reserve the right to change the programme at any time. Effort will be made to adhere to this programme.

ALL DAY ON BOTH DAYS 

•Food Fair •Bilquis & Abdul Razak Dawood (BARD) Children’s Pavilion •Education Fair •Book Fair •Sponsor Stalls •Author Signings •Media Rooms

•Fauzia Minallah’s Art show, THE LOST LULLABY OF MOTHER EARTH in the Sadequain / Goethe Gallery (Curator: Pomme Amina Gohar):

ALL DAY ON SATURDAY

•Screenings of Films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the ecosystem in the Sadequain / Goethe Gallery.

 SATURDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2022, 11 am - 12:20 pm

INAUGURATION, BRITISH COUNCIL GARDEN, FRERE HALL.

MC: Pomme Amina Gohar

10.45 - 11.00 am: Arrival of Guests

11.00 - 11:10 am: National Anthem and an Adab Festival song (written by Sister Elizabeth Niamat Chauhan SC, Principal of St Joseph’s Convent School

11.10 -11:15 am: Welcome by Adab Fest Founder and Director Ameena Saiyid OBE, Sitara e Imtiaz, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

and Director Shama Askari

11.15 am - 11:30 am: Speech Adab Fest Supporters: Maarya Rehman (Deputy Director, British Council), Nauman Naqvi (Professor and Dean Habib University), Murtaza Wahab, and DIG Police Dr Maqsood Ahmed

11.30 - 11:40 pm: Keynote Address by Tariq Alexander Qaiser

11.40 - 12:00 pm: Keynote Address by Chief Guest Sherry Rehman (Federal Minister for Climate Change)

12.00 - 12:10 pm: The 2022 Infaq Foundation - Adab Festival Urdu Award

12.10 - 12:20 pm: Dance Performance by Sheema Kermani

SATURDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2022

SUNDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2022 

CLOSING CEREMONY, BRITISH COUNCIL GARDEN, FRERE HALL

SUNDAY, 27  NOVEMBER 2022

MC: Pomme Amina Gohar

6.20 pm: Closing Speech by Adab Fest Founder and Director Ameena Saiyid OBE, Sitara e Imtiaz, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

 Speech by Director Shama Askari

6:30 pm: Keynote Address by Zafar Masud

6:45 pm: Keynote Address by Arfa Sayeda Zehra

7-9 pm

      Music Performances:

A Tribute to Nayyara Noor by Rosemary Mushtaq 

Concert by Kaifi Khalil

Concert by Laal

Kathak by Shayma Saiyid

Adab Fest 2022 Participants in Alphabetical Order

1 Abila Kurd

2 Adnan Jaffar

3 Adil Bizanjo

4 Afzal Ahmed Syed

5 Dr Ahmed Usman

6 Aitzaz Ahsan

7 Akhlaq Ahmed

8 Aliya Iqbal-Naqvi

9 Alifya Faheem Lotia

10 Amar Sindhu

11 Amber Paracha

12 Ameena Saiyid

13 Amna R. Ali

14 Anumtah Aijaz

15 Anzar Khaliq

16 Aqdas Afzal

17 Areeba Aziz Rajput

18 Arfa Sayeda Zehra

19 Asma Mundrawala

20 Atif Badar

21 Attiya Dawood

22 Dr. Ayesha I. Mian

23 Aysha Baqir

24 Azhar Abbas

25 Baela Raza Jamil

26 Bee Gul

27 Bina Shah

28 Binish Fatima Basathia

29 Christie Lauder

30 Daniyal Ahmed

31 Desty Hotifatruwosa (joining virtutally from Jakarta Indonesia)

32 Syeda Dua Zehra Zaidi

33 Ehsan Malik

34 Sister Elizabeth Niamat Chauhan FC

35 Fariha Farooq

36 Farid Panjwani

37 Fatema Hassan (née Syeda Anis Fatema Zaidi)

38 Fauzia Minallah

39 Dr Fouzia Naeem Khan

40 Dr Fouzia Saeed

41 George Fulton

42 Gulab Rai Parmar

43 Habib Mazahir

44 Dr. Haleema Qamar

45 Hameed Haroon

46 Hani Baloch

47 Harris Khalique

48 Hassan Khan

49 Haya Fatima Iqbal

50 HM Naqvi

51 Huma Amir Shah

52 Dr Huma Baqai

53 Dr. Humair Yusuf

54 Hussain Haroon

55 Iftikhar Arif

56 Imran Saqib

57 Inaamullah Nadeem

58 Irshad Abdulkadir

59 Ishrat Husain

60 Syed Jaffar Ahmed

61 Jamshed H. Mehemomji

62 Javed Jabbar

63 Jeremy Vas

64 Kaifi Khalil

65 Syed Kashif Raza

66 Kashif Misidia

67 Kausar Saeed Khan

68 Khurram Schehzad

69 Kishwar Naheed

70 Laal: Mahvash Waqar

71 Laal: Nadeem Hassan

72 Laal: Nawaz Ali

73 Laal: Sarah Waqar

74 Laal: Salman Malik

75 Laal and Taimur Rahman

76 Maheen Usmani

77 Mahenau Agha

78 Dr. Maqsood Ahmed, T.I, QPM, PSP

79 Masood Lohar

80 Moni Mohsin

81 Murtaza Wahab

82 Mustafa Arbab

83 Muhammad Bilal

84 Maarya Rehman

85 Mariya Dada

86 Meher Afroze

87 Muhammad Salman

88 Nadeem Farooq Paracha

89 Nadeem Husain

90 Nadeem Mirbahar

91 Naila Mahmood

92 Natalia Gul

93 Dr Nauman Naqvi

94 Nikhil Raichur (joining virtually)

95 Nirmala Maghani

96 Dr Noman Baig

97 Noor Ul Huda Shah

98 Nuzhat Pathan

99 Omayr Saiyid

100 Pomme Amina Gohar

101 Pramod Kapoor (will join virtually from Delhi)

102 Quatrina Hosain

103 Rabya Rizwan

104 Ramazan Baloch

105 Rizwan Shah

106 Romeena Kureishy

107 Rosemary Mushtaq

108 Rubina Chandio

109 Rumana Husain

110 Dr Rukhsana Saba

111 Saad Shafqat

112 Safinah Danish Elahi

113 Sahar Habib Ghazi

114 Saife Hasan

115 Samana Butul

116 Sameena Shah Zaman

117 Dr Samina Zahir

118 Samya Kadri Paracha

119 Shah Murad Aliani

120 Shahab Karamat

121 Shaheen Gul

122 Shahid Sayeed Khan

123 Shama Askari

124 Shanaz Wazir Ali

125 Shamshad Akhtar

126 Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

127 Shayma Saiyid

128 Sheema Kermani

129 Dr. Shehzad Jeeva

130 Sherry Rehman

131 Sketches and Saif Samejo

132 Sketches: Ashfaq Ahmed (Nomi)

133 Sketches: Ahsan Iqbal

134 Sketches: Nafees Noor Ahmed

135 Sketches: Zeeshan Pervaiz

136 Shoaib Hassan

137 Simi Kamal

138 Sultana Siddiqui

139 Swalay Muhammad

140 Swaleha M. Saleem

141 Stephen Abraham (joining virtually from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia)

142 Taha Kehar

143 Taimur Mirza

144 Tanveer Anjum

145 Tariq Alexander Qaiser

146 Tashina Nur

147 Uzma Farman Farooqui

148 Uzma Noorani

149 Waheed Noor

150 Wusatullah Khan

151 Yasser Latif Hamdani

152 Yassir Pasha

153 Zafar Masud

154 Zahida Raees Raji

155 Zainab Masud Zain

156 Zakia Sarwar

157 Zarrar Khuhro

158 Zehra Nigah

159 Zehra Masroor

160 Professor Doctor Zhanna Burunina (joining virtually from Ukraine/Italy)

161 Zubeida Mustafa

162 Zuhra Lucie (joining virtually from Nairobi Kenya)

1 Abila Kurd

Abila Kurd has a keen interest in the arts. After graduating in Arts, she completed several degrees and diplomas in Textile and Fashion Design. She started her career as a Voice Over artist in the Balochi medium short films. She was also part of the organising team of the Lyari Film Festival and Hidden Stories of Malir and Lyari (short filmmaking course). Later she become a part of a prominent theater team and performed all over Sindh. Abila also acted in several short films. She played a key role in the murder mystery TV/Web Series SHATRANJ. Recently, Abila marked her debut as a leading actress in the Balochi Feature Film DODA.

2 Adnan Jaffar

Adnan Jaffar is a professional television, film and theatre actor. A former news anchor, he branched into acting after finishing theatre training at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). To date, he has performed in multiple TV dramas, feature films(both art & commercial) and theatre plays. In 2014 he founded a theatre banner, Qissah Farosh, which does narrative performances of prose & poetry.

3 Adil Bizanjo

Adil Bizanjo is a Lyari-based Baloch filmmaker. He has done his graduation in filmmaking from the University of Karachi in 2013. Adil along with Zakir Sheraan and Imran Saqib founded Nosach Films in 2019. Adil has 13 years of filmmaking experience in directing, cinematography, cinematography, editing, writing, award-winning commercials, TV drama, documentary, music videos, short films, and feature films. Recently Adil directed his first feature film in the Balochi language in collaboration with Baam Film, which was released in cinemas nationwide.

4 Afzal Ahmed Syed

Afzal Ahmed Syed, born in Ghazipur, India in 1946, is a leading contemporary Urdu poet and translator. Afzal Syed witnessed civil wars in Dhaka in 1971 and in Beirut from 1974 to 1976. Living in Karachi, Pakistan, since 1976, he has published three collections of prose poems: Chheeni Hui Tareekh (1983), Do Zabanon mein Saza-e-Maut (1990) and Rococo aur Doosri Dunyaen (2000), and one collection of ghazals: Khaima-e-Siyah (1988). His collected works were published as Mitti ki Kaan in 2009. In 2010, the Wesleyan University Press, USA, published a selection of his poems, Rococo and Other Worlds, translated by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. Later the English translations of his complete work were published in India by the same title. Translations of his poetry have also appeared in Sindhi, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic and German. He is known for his mastery of the Urdu poetic expression in both classic and modern sense. He frequently translates from English and Persian. From English he has translated fiction of renowned writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jean Genet, Ismael Kadare, etc. and a large number of poets of the world. His translations of the Sabak-e-Hindi poets were published as Bada-e-Doshina by Aks publishers and the complete Persian works of Mir Taqi Mir as Divan-e-Mir Farsi: Urdu Tarjuma by Oxford University Press. He currently teaches Urdu at Habib University

5 Dr Ahmed Usman

6 Aitzaz Ahsan

Aitzaz Ahsan is an Honorary Fellow at Downing College, Cambridge, Former Federal Minister for Law and Interior, Former Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition, Pakistan Senate, an Author of: 'The Indus Saga: And the Making of Pakistan', (a widely popular political and cultural history of the Indus region, now Pakistan; and 'Divided by Democracy' (co-authored with Lord Meghnad Desai of the London School of Economics).

7 Akhlaq Ahmed

Akhlaq Ahmed is a writer, journalist and advertiser. He has worked for around 28 years with the Jang Group. He is an ex-Editor of 'Of Akhbar e Jehan', a recipient of the APNS Award for Journalism, and has published five collections of short stories.

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8 Aliya Iqbal-Naqvi

Aliya Iqbal Naqvi is a historian by training. She currently serves as faculty at the Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts at IBA, Karachi, where she teaches courses in South Asian history and Islamic thought & culture; she also oversees the department’s undergraduate research program. Aliya previously headed the Liberal Arts Program at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Harvard University in the US. Her Ph.D. research from the same institution is on intellectual trends in the Eastern or Persianate Islamic world. Aliya also serves on the boards of several non-profit social enterprises, including the Education Trust Nasra Schools, The Karachi Conference Foundation, and Greenstar Social Marketing, Pakistan.

9 Alifya Faheem Lotia

10 Amar Sindhu

Amar Sindhu is an activist, feminist, writer, poet and a well- known columnist of the Sindhi language. She teaches philosophy at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. She is well-known as a political analyst and columnist for leading Sindhi newspapers. Beside poetry, her prose writings comprise in-depth analysis of the marginalized sections of society such as women, peasants and minorities. She has been actively involved in social and political movements and is widely regarded as a bold, courageous and leading voice of Sindhi women. She remained editor of the Marxist Magazine in Sindhi for three years and was the co- founder member of the first Sindhi Feminist Publication. Her research work covers “The Concept of the Empowerment of Women in Sindhi Literature”. In her research work, she critically examines the legends of Sindhi Literature by going through the portrayal of women in their writings. Her Urdu and Sindhi poems were both published in a single book “Jagti Aankhoon Ke Sapne”.

11 Amber Paracha

Amber Paracha is associated with the financial sector for the past 25 years. She’s a keen observer of people, literary trends, the arts and culture. Especially of novels, theatre and fine arts.

12 Ameena Saiyid

Ameena Saiyid OBE, S.I.  is the Managing Director of Lightstone Publishers and Founder and Director of Adab Festival. She has been MD of OUP for 30 years. She is the first and only Pakistani woman to be awarded The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the British Queen in 2005. In 2013, she was conferred the Chevalier des Arts et de Lettres by the Government of France and Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 2018.  

Ameena is the first woman in Pakistan to become the head of a multinational company and to be elected President of the Overseas Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry(OICCI).

She began the movement of literature festivals in Pakistan by founding the Karachi Literature Festival and is the Founder and Director of Adab Festival Pakistan and co- founder of the Children’s and Teachers ‘ Literature Festivals.

She is Secretary General of the Jinnah Society, and is on the Board of Habib University Foundation, Institute of Business Management (IoBM) Karachi, Sindh Madrassatul Islam University and Infaq Foundation and is an Adviser to Katalyst Lab established by Jehan Ara.

She is a Trustee of the Vicky Noon Education Foundation, UK, which gives scholarships to Pakistani students to study at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

13 Amna R. Ali

Amna R. Ali has worked in several editorial positions in monthly magazines and has been writing for almost 20 years on contemporary popular culture, people, lifestyle and the arts. The top publications she has been associated with include The Friday Times, monthly Newsline Magazine, where she was an assistant editor and Hello! Pakistan where she was editor, and was committed to promoting Pakistan’s soft image to a national and international audience. In Canada she contributed to The Toronto Star and was correspondent for The National in Abu Dhabi, UAE.  Currently she is a freelance editor, writes often for the Literati section of The News on Sunday (TNS) and manages her own blog and Social Media profile.  Amna R. Ali has an MA in English Literature from the University of the Punjab and was at SOAS for the prestigious Charles Wallace Fellowship.

14 Anumtah Aijaz

15 Anzar Khaliq

Dr. Anzar Khaliq is an experimental physicist, a design researcher and an academic entrepreneur. He was trained as a nano-scientist at Sorbonne University in Paris and has worked at some of the most cutting edge particle accelerators in the world. He is one of the founding faculty members of Habib University and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning and oversees the University’s Centre for Pedagogical Excellence. He is also the founder and Director of Centre for Transdisciplinarity, Design, and Innovation and also serves as an Associate Professor of Physics at the Program of Integrated Sciences and Mathematics. His latest research interests are on various elements of Student Centred Learning including a special focus on design of learning spaces that are suitable for teaching in the modern age.

16 Aqdas Afzal

Dr Aqdas Afzal (BA Political Science and Economics, Ohio State University, where he earned his bachelor’s in political science and economics and a minor in Farsi. In 2006, he completed his master’s in political science from The Ohio State University and returned to his native Pakistan.

From 2006 through 2012, Dr Aqdas Afzal worked in the development sector in both Lahore and Islamabad. Additionally, he taught as an adjunct faculty member at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and at the Government College University, Lahore.

In 2011, Dr Aqdas Afzal won the Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a doctorate in economics at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. In 2013, he interned at the United Nations in New York City. In 2015, he won the Association of Institutional Thought’s (AFIT) prestigious “Student Scholars Prize” in economics. In 2016, Dr Aqdas Afzal was the “Three-Minute Thesis” champion at his university. In the same year, he won the Journal of Interdisciplinary Research’s (JIDR) best paper prize, while also bagging the “Graduate Studies Dissertation Research Award.

Dr Aqdas Afzal also taught at the Rockhurst University in Kansas City.

Dr Aqdas Afzal is now teaching at Habib University in Karachi; he also writes regularly for DAWN, Pakistan's most-widely read English newspaper. In addition to speaking at various academic and corporate events, Dr Aqdas Afzal also provides analysis on different TV programs.

17 Areeba Aziz Rajput

Areeba has a Master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2022), from Northeastern University. During her Masters, she worked at the Northeastern Field Robotics Lab where her research was primarily on designing a compact visual inertial odometry system for underwater ROVs. The aim of the project was to maintain navigation in visually compromised environments, like underwater, through IMU data. Areeba is a Fulbright scholar and has received the Best Capstone Award for her Bachelors in Electrical Engineering, Habib University, Pakistan (2018).

18 Arfa Sayeda Zehra

Arfa Sayeda Zehra is a Pakistani educationist and Urdu language expert. She studied first at Lahore College for Women University, then Government College University, with further degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Zehra is a professor emeritus of history at Forman Christian College and is a former principal of the Lahore College for Women University. She was a chairperson on the National Commission on the Status of Women. Zehra is a former caretaker provincial minister of Punjab. She is recognized for her knowledge on the Urdu language and literature and is specialized in intellectual history and South Asian social issues; outside of the university sphere, she speaks at language conferences and televised forums

19 Asma Mundrawala

Asma Mundrawala is a visual artist and theatre practitioner with a DPhil degree from the University of Sussex UK. She is a Professor in the Department of Fine Art at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi. She has been associated with the arts and education and has been represented in national and international exhibitions. As part of her research practice Asma has published in Pakistani and international books and journals. Apart from a visual arts practice, Asma has a background in theatre since 1997 when she began work with the Karachi-based theatre group Tehrik e Niswan.  She is the co-founder and creative director for Zambeel Dramatic Readings (2011), a group that renders Urdu texts in dramatic form for live audiences. As part of this initiative she has conceptualised and directed several projects comprising of texts by eminent authors from the subcontinent. She has initiated and runs Zambeelnaama, a monthly online audio channel for Zambeel Dramatic Readings. Asma lives and works in Karachi.

20 Atif Badar

Atif Badar is an actor, teacher, storyteller, writer, director with experience ranging from stage, voice-overs, mini screen to film. He began as a theatre actor in 1993 with Tehrik e Niswan. He currently teaches theatre and movement at three schools including the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture Karachi. Atif also worked as an actor four years with the Katha Theatre Group. He has directed, and developed concepts of over 130 long and short plays ( in his 13-years teaching journey ) for schools and for the Children's Literature Festival of which 25 plays he wrote himself.

His four theatre play  won the best theatre play awards. He wrote a confidence-building poem for young children "Ek Thi Chunni - Ek Thi Munni" and Aik tha Chunno Aik Tha Munno.

was published in the children's all times favourite magazine Santara.

He conducted many theatre workshops in different schools of Karachi and all over Pakistan with Children Literature Festival and two short interactive theatre workshops in Singapore many years and he conducted many theatrical conversation workshops at the Aga Khan Medical University enhancing communications skills of medical students with their patients....

Atif also conducted two days theatre workshop and performed story telling sessions and short street drama ( Aao Aao Naatak Dekhou ) with Children Literature Festival for Adab Festival 2020.

He is also culinary expert and his recipes have been printed in famous magazine and newspaper of Pakistan.

Few years ago he received an award from Childrens Literature Festival. Recently he received the best teachers award in Karachi.

21 Attiya Dawood

Attiya Dawood is a Sindhi poet, writer, feminist and activist. She was born in Moledino Larik (a small village in Naushero Feroze, Sindh, Pakistan). She has been hailed as one of the most important feminist Sindhi writers of her time. Attiya uses her poetry to highlight the oppression of women in Sindhi society in the name of tradition. She has been writing poetry since 1980.

22 Dr. Ayesha I. Mian

Dr Ayesha I. Mian is a US trained, adult and child and adolescent psychiatrist with extensive experience in teaching, capacity building and program development in the areas of leadership, mental health, medical education, cultural intelligence and gender. She did her MBBS from Aga Khan University and went to the US for her residency in General Adult Psychiatry. After that she did Fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry from University of Texas, Houston and joined Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital as faculty member. She has been internationally recognized for her work; key awards include the Jeanne Spurlock Award for Diversity and Culture by AACAP, the Laughlin Fellowship by American College of Psychiatrists (ACP), Presidential Award and Outstanding Mentor by AACAP, Robert Fellowship for inspirational mentorship (AAP), Fulbright and Jaworski awards in educational leadership by BCM and a Lifetime Achievement Award by University of Missouri, Department of Psychiatry. She continues to be a Co-Chair of Global Mental Health Committee of AACAP and Executive Council member of Donald Cohen Fellowship Director of IACAPAP In 2013, she returned back to Pakistan as Chair of Department of Psychiatry at Aga Khan University. She introduced the idea of blended curriculum in the department and worked closely with the undergraduate clerkship program director to redesign the psychiatry clerkship program into an outcome focused curriculum which resulted in better student experience and interest in psychiatry. Dr Mian created the first child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training program in Pakistan. She has been instrumental in supporting and mentoring her junior faculty, fellows, and postgraduate trainees and continued to provide an environment conducive to learning. She became a FAIMER fellow in International Medical Education Leadership in 2017 and Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) for Women alumna in 2019. She was given an additional role as the Founding Dean of Students in 2017 and she developed the Office of Student Experience with a vision to include student voices in issues pertinent to them as much as possible. Being in the leadership position, she felt the need to address the concerns of women leaders and became the Founding Lead of Gender Equity & Women in Leadership program at AKU in 2018. She started the conversation of incorporating gender equity and inclusion in processes and policies of the university and worked to build a leadership program for women.

23 Aysha Baqir

Aysha Baqir grew up in Pakistan. Her time in college sparked a passion for economic development. In 1998 she founded a pioneering not for profit economic development organization, Kaarvan Crafts Foundation, with a mission to alleviate poverty. Her novel Beyond the Fields was published in 2019 and featured at Lahore/Karachi Literary Festivals, Singapore Writers Festival, Women in Literature Festival (2021), Money FM Career 360, and at Yale-NUS. Her interviews and book reviews have appeared in Ex-pat Living, Counter-currents, The Herald, Kitaab, and The Tempest. She is an Ashoka Fellow and recipient of Vice Chancellor’s Alumni Achievement Award from LUMS.

24 Azhar Abbas

Azhar Abbas is the Managing Director of Geo News. A natural leader, Azhar was an activist in his student life, struggling against General Zia-ul-Haq’s tyrannical rule. This led him to join “Roshan Khayal,” a thinking person’s Urdu magazine in the late eighties. In 1988, after democracy was restored in Pakistan, he wrote the book “Army, Democracy & People” in which he argued that though at that point the military had no choice but to restore democracy, it was not in its interest to let democracy flourish in the long run.

Azhar entered mainstream journalism in 1990 as a reporter for the English daily, The News. Within three years, he became the first journalist to secure the prestigious Hubert Humphrey Fellowship which is part of the Fulbright Scholarship program. The scholarship took him first to Boston University and then to Syracuse to attend the prestigious Newhouse School of Communication, where he studied broadcast journalism and realized that television will be the medium of the future for Pakistan.

Upon his return to Pakistan, he launched Pakistan’s first private-sector TV program with his team, Pakistan Business Update. The program brought modern broadcast journalism into Pakistan and provided the base for other private sector companies to start investing in electronic media. He simultaneously joined the reputed news magazine, the Herald, and began reporting on political and economic issues. He also reported for several international publications such as an Indian news magazine Outlook and the widely circulated daily USA Today, and served as a correspondent to NBC and CNBC. He interviewed top politicians and celebrities, and also reported extensively on the Afghan war and the elections in Pakistan, India, and the UK.

His 1998 investigative story on cricket match-fixing exposed the culprits and led to an official investigation of the scandal. In June 1999, his cover story for Herald Magazine, “THE CREEPING COUP” became the talking point in domestic and international media and political circles. It it he predicted that the military was again looking for an opportunity to directly come into power. His fears turned out to be true: only a few months later the military took over in a bloodless coup.

In 2001, ten months before the transmission of Geo News, he joined the core team that launched the channel as its first Director News. Abbas’ dedication, journalistic sense, and managerial skills helped the organization develop an unbeatable team at Geo Network.

In 2007 he was approached by Pakistan’s first English-language TV channel, DawnNews to help in its launch. He joined DawnNews as Director News and Current Affairs. But his long relationship with The Jang Group, couldn’t keep him away for too long, and he returned to Geo News.

He has participated in many national and international forums on journalism and public policy. He played a key role in making the code of ethics for journalists regarding coverage of terrorism and anti-terror operations. He has written many reports on how to cover in a hostile environment and the challenges Pakistani journalists face in this regard.

In recognition of his services to journalism, Azhar Abbas was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, the government’s second-highest civilian award.

25 Baela Raza Jamil

Baela Raza Jamil is the CEO of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) centre for education and consciousness. She is the Founder of the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) holding the Children’s and the Teachers’ Learning Festivals . She leads the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan the most popular foundational learning assessment. Baela spearheads nationwide social movements for education and learning reforms, foundational learning, research and innovations in Early Years, Girls Education 2nd Chance Programs for education life skills and Livelihoods and learning recovery in emergencies. She serves on government federal and provincial boards and is a sub-convenor of the Steering Committee on Education, at the Federal Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives /Planning Commission.  

Baela is a Commissioner of the Education Commission and serves on the UNESCO IBE Council in Geneva. She is a member of the Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE), Delivery Board, Yidan Prize Foundation Advisory Committee and Director People's Action for Learning (PAL) Network Board. She is the Managing Trustee of Sanjan Nagar Public Education trust (SNPET)

26 Bee Gul

Bee Gui is a Pakistani screenwriter and director. She wrote Films and TV plays like Talkhiyaan, Pehchaan, Kaun Qamar Ara, Firdous ki Dozakh, most notably Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila and Raqeeb Se for HUM TV. Bee Gui's stories often deal with themes of Reality & Identity.

27 Bina Shah

Bina Shah  is a writer of English fiction and a journalist living in Karachi, Pakistan. She is the author of five novels and two collections of short stories. She has been a regular columnist for the International New York Times, the Dawn, the Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, and has written for the Independent and the Guardian. In 2022 Bina was awarded the rank of Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture.

28 Binish Fatima Basathia

Binish Fatima Basathia graduated in Electrical Engineering in 2022 from Habib University. She is working in Test Automation Development at Astera Software. She sees herself diving more into STEM in the upcoming years.

29 Christie Lauder

Christie Marie Lauder is an Assistant Professor in Communications and Design at Habib University, where she teaches creative writing and journalism. Her work has appeared in Persephone Magazine, Peauxdunque Review, Jezebel, and Refinery 29, among other outlets, and serves on the board of the The Salam Award. She writes frequently about the intersections of pop culture and gender, genre movies, and adaptation.

30 Daniyal Ahmed

31 Desty Hotifatruwosa (joining virtutally from Jakarta Indonesia)

Google Crowdsource Influencer, Gold Product Expert, Iam Remarkable Facilitator

32 Syeda Dua Zehra Zaidi

I am Dua Zehra Zaidi, a Comparative Humanities student at Habib University majoring in Literature and Religion. Literature has always intruiged me and Habib University made me fall in love with urdu literature even more. The courses provided me confidence to come forth as a writer and get published twice. Besides, I have served as Senior Urdu editor in Arzu Anthology at Habib University. Urdu poetry is my passion and Leisure hobby and literature has strengthened my roots which to spread more goodness in society as Vice President of Serve Club.

33 Ehsan Malik

Ehsan Malik is the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Business Council (PBC), a research-based business advocacy body representing the leading businesses in Pakistan, including the larger multinational companies from 14 countries. PBC’s objective is to lobby for the transformation of policies and operating environment to achieve sustainable growth, employment, exports and import substitution. Prior to joining PBC in January 2016, Ehsan was the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Pakistan for nine years, a period in which the business quadrupled in size. In a 24-year career with Unilever, Ehsan served as CEO of Unilever Sri Lanka, led the consolidation of Unilever’s regional businesses in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria and spent several years in the head office in the UK. Before joining Unilever in 1991, Ehsan worked for a Pakistani conglomerate with interests in media, pharmaceuticals, hotels, tractor assembly and oil lubricants in partnership with Wyeth Laboratories, Intercontinental Hotel Corporation, Ford and Gulf Oil. Ehsan is Member of the Board of Directors of Abbott Laboratories Pakistan Limited, National Foods Limited, Gul Ahmed Textiles Limited and Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan Limited. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, Ehsan is an alumni of the Wharton and Harvard Business Schools

34 Sister Elizabeth Niamat Chauhan FC

Binish Fatima Basathia graduated in Electrical Engineering in 2022 from Habib University. She is working in Test Automation Development at Astera Known fondly by all as Sr. Liza, Sister Elizabeth Niamat FC is the current principal of St. Joseph’s Convent School since four years. She started her religious career as a Novitiate in 1995. From there on she became a Boarding Teachers and continued her pastoral services in Nawabshah. She was deployed a teacher in St. Anthony’s Convent School Sialkot.

In 2002 Sr. Liza completed her Juniorate Course in Lahore and joined Tribal Mission as a Pastoral Worker.

A one-year transitional period of formation followed where Sr. Liza traveled throughout the country to get familiar with other Sisters and their ministries. In the year 2009, Sr. Liza was appointed Lecturer in St. Joseph’s College for Women, Karachi. She joined Formation of Candidates in the year 2012 and went on to complete her training in Ireland, UK in the year 2013.  

Her dedicated service to the Catholic Church and education landed Sr. Liza as Principal of St. Joseph’s Convent School in the year 2019. The same year, her Silver Jubilee was celebrated upon completion of her 25 years as an inspiring nun and an educator.

Sr. Liza is a well-versed speaker, writer, music composer and director. Writing poetry is a fond habit and singing hymns and songs come naturally. Besides becoming a nun, she took up lectureship and preferred the noble profession of teaching.  

Pastoral services opened arenas of Social Work and she became a staunch Human Rights activist who worked largely in remote areas of Interior Sindh to empower women beyond her community and has worked on the education and moral uplifting of youth and children. She has also translated books of author Fr. Matthew the Poor, a Coptic Orthodox from Egypt. From remote golden the sands of Thar Desert to Human Development in the much advanced Ireland, her contributions are innumerable and immeasurable.  

35 Fariha Farooq

Fariha Farooq graduated from Habib University; with a major in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. Right after graduation, she joined House of Habib, one of the leading corporates in Pakistan, as a Management Trainee. Fariha is currently leading the financial inclusion domain as a Senior Product Manager at Bazaar Technologies, one of the leading start-ups in Pakistan. Through her work in fintech, she aims to bring financial literacy to millions of Kiryana store owners in Pakistan.

36 Farid Panjwani

37 Fatema Hassan (née Syeda Anis Fatema Zaidi)

Fatema Hassan, born as Syeda Anis Fatema, later known as Fatema Hassan has been on the scene of Urdu Literature for the past half century and more. Her own admission is that while poetry is a channel for her creative effort, her conscious effort is to be active in the cause of women’s writings to be recognized in the history of Literature.

After doing her MA (Journalism in first Class) from the University of Karachi, she began her career as Assistant Editor Publications in the Sindh Information Department in 1977 and brought out a literary magazine “Izhar”. Later she joined Sindh Employees Social Security Institution and after retiring as Director Public Relations, she started teaching in Karachi University as a visiting faculty and Muhammad Ali Jinnah University as full time Professor. She was awarded her PhD in Mass Communication from Karachi University in 2007. This was her most pivotal work as her research was on the first, and highly distinguished poetess to be published in Urdu magazines, Zahida Khatoon Sherwania (1894-1922), who was almost absent from literary and intellectual history of the Subcontinent. Two editions of her research thesis were subsequently published by Anjuman Taraq e Urdu, titled as Z-Khe-Sheen: Hayat-o- Shayeri Tehqiqi Jayeza.

In recognition of her literary standing and organizational capacity, she was appointed as the Honorary Secretary of Anjuman Taraqqi-e- Urdu Pakistan, a historical institution which aims for providing facilities to scholars carrying out research on Urdu language and literature and for publication of their work. She had been a member of the senate of Federal Urdu University (FUU), Executive council member of Allama Iqbal Open University, member Governing body of Iqbal Academy Lahore. At present she is associated with Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi as a Chief Organizer “Josh Malehabdi Library & Archives”.  

Fatema Hassan has been actively associated with the N.G.O. Association of Business, Professional and Agricultural Women since 1978. She is an active Board Member of Women & Development Association (WADA) and has coordinated four workshops on Feminism, and edited three books on the subject 1) Khamoshi Ki Awaz (The Sound of Silence), 2) Feminism aur Hum (We and Feminism) and 3) Balochistan ka Adab aur Khawateen  (Baloch Literature and Women). The last book in this list shows her care and affection for a regional language in the context of the common perception of Urdu speaking populace keeping its singular identity intact.

She has availed of all opportunities to work for the betterment of women and children under community participation. Fatema Hassan visited the United States in connection with projects, under the International Visitors Program on the theme of “Women in Development”, and attended a very high level seminar on ”Empowerment of Women” in Washington D.C. in 1990.Earlier, in1987 she received training for Women Managers by the Academy of Educational Development.

As a poet and writer Fatema Hassan has taken special interest in Feminist causes. One of her poems written in 1975, during the international Year of the Woman, was made into headline of newspapers and magazines,. Likewise another poem written on the Girl Child in 1991 was carried on the UNICEF poster. This unique poem was also played as the theme song in the Pakistan Television series Hawwa ki Beti (The Daughter of Eve).

Her fiction anthology Kahanian Gum ho Jati Hain  کہانیاں گم ہو جاتی ہیں (Stories are Lost) has been cited as an example of feminist consciousness in Urdu literature. Special discussion programs on this book were held by leading newspapers like Jang and Daily Express, as well as by Welcome Book Port. Her works have been translated by internationally acclaimed scholars like Dr. Satyapal Anand (USA), Dr. David Matthews (UK) and Dr. Estelle Dryland (Australia). She was also invited to present a paper in London on March 15, 2003 on "Women Consciousness in Urdu Literature since the Last Century", beside several papers in National and International Universities/ Organizations.

She has published eight books in addition to a number of articles, and has participated in a number of seminars, conferences and poetry recitals all over the world.

In 2012, she was awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in recognition of her literary and scholarly excellence.

Recently in Dec: 2021 her book “Urdu Shairaat aur Nisai Shaoor, Sao bars ka safar  (1920 to 2020)

اردو شاعرات اور نسائی شعور سو برس کا سفر has been published and received overwhelming recognition form literary and scholarly circle.

38 Fauzia Minallah

Artist and children’s author Fauzia reclaims her South Asian identity through her work, and is inspired by social and climate issues. The dramatic eyes of Gandhara Buddha, the Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro, and the slate stone carvings in the graveyard of her parent’s village Sirikot are a part of her visual vocabulary. An art critic wrote that “[i]n Minallah’s works, commentary on war, history and immigration is inextricably linked to the use of the tree, and nature in general is a constant motif. She is adept at working in various mediums and many of her acrylic paintings are transformed into backgrounds for animated short films, so they are akin to ‘moving paintings’.”

Born in Quetta, she trained in oil painting under SS Hyder at Abasin Arts Council, Peshawar, starting at age 12. In the early 80s she painted with landscape artist Ghulam Rasul. In the mid 80's she painted in Sadeqain’s studio when he established a gallery in her neighbourhood in Islamabad. Her animation for children “Amai, the Bird of Light” has screened at festivals internationally. She is a board member of the Pakistan Literature Festival. She has given picture books and art and storytelling workshops through her charity, Funkor Childart Center to thousands of under-privileged children. She is the driving force behind the protection of old trees of Islamabad as 'natural monuments'. Her many awards include the All Pakistan Newspaper Award (APNS) for political cartoons.

39 Dr Fouzia Naeem Khan

A Ph.D. in Professional Psychology, Fouzia brings over twenty-five years of experience in managing development programs and projects that have been cited as effective, innovative, and responsive to community needs. She is currently serving as the Chief Advisor-Curriculum Wing / Additional Secretary with the School of Education & Literacy Department, Government of Sindh. Dr. Khan is also the SELD focal person and leading the initiatives of digital literacy, Gender, Nutrition, WASH, SDG 4, Human Rights, and DRR.

40 Dr Fouzia Saeed

Author and Activist Dr Fouzia Saeed has spent over 30 years working for social change in Pakistan. She earned a PhD from the University of Minnesota, USA. Her unique perspective stems from her life's many facets as a social activist, a development professional, a successful manager, as well as an accomplished scholar. She also created Pakistan's first women’s crisis centre, successfully advocated for the passage of seven laws for women's rights, including two against sexual harassment, and revitalized Lok Virsa, Pakistan's National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage and Later Pakistan National Council of the Arts. Her book on the walled city of Lahore, Taboo, retains a cult following in five languages. Working with Sharks, which chronicles the true story of her successful efforts to counter sexual harassment in her own career and continues to inspire many who work on this problem today. On Their Own Terms describes four women's movements of early 21st century in Pakistan as this is the time she had been most active in leading women's movements through strategic activism. Her latest book Tapestry: Strands of Women’s Struggles Woven into the History of Pakistan has been published by Lightstone Publishers.

41 George Fulton

George Fulton has worked as a writer, journalist, broadcaster and communication specialist in Pakistan since 2002. He has worked both in front of and behind the camera and has produced several current affairs programmes including HARDtalk Pakistan and Question Time Pakistan for BBC World. He has helped interview some of the leading political and military players within Pakistan: including President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, General Hamid Gul and General Aslam Beg.

In 2003, he joined GEO where he wrote and presented Pakistan’s first reality show/documentary/travelogue "George ka Pakistan". He followed this up by producing and writing the satirical news quiz, News Views and Confused, before finding himself as the presenter of AAJ TV’s Kiran aur George morning show.

42 Gulab Rai Parmar

Google Crowdsource Influencer, Google Maps Contributor/Volunteer &  Thar Boys Student Team Leader, Motivational Speaker

43 Habib Mazahir

Habib Mazahir is a graduate of Habib University with a major in Social Development and Policy (SDP) and a minor in English and Comparative Literatures (ECL). Aside from being multilingual; fluent in Balti, Urdu, English and beginner in Persian and Arabic, he is an experienced editor, writer, researcher as well as an avid orator. He has been part of the editorial boards of Tezhib, Arzu Anthology and Pride Press. He has also served as General Secretary of Habib University’s literary society, Araish e Khayal. He occasionally writes prose and poetry in Urdu, Balti, Persian and English. Habib is currently working at Habib University as an Academic Advisor. He describes himself as a Khanabadosh by nature, a Sufi by practice, a researcher by skills, and a film enthusiast by spirit.

44 Dr. Haleema Qamar

45 Hameed Haroon

Hameed Haroon belongs to the illustrious Haroon family of Karachi& the CEO of DAWN and DAWN Media, which own the oldest and the most widely read English language daily Dawn. The newspaper was founded by the Quaid-e-Azam in 1942. His grandfather, Haji Abdullah Haroon, played a prominent role in the Independence Movement alongside the Quaid. Hameed Haroon has written widely on an array of serious topics.

46 Hani Baloch

47 Harris Khalique

Harris Khalique is a Pakistani poet in Urdu and English and a civil society activist. Khalique has authored nine collections of poetry and two books of non-fiction. In March 2018, he received the Presidential Pride of Performance Award from the state of Pakistan as an acknowledgement of his contributions to poetry. In 2013, he was awarded the UBL Literary Excellence Award in the category of Urdu poetry for his collection Melay Mein. He is also a University of Iowa Honorary Fellow in Writing. Khalique has managed and advised organisations, development projects and human rights campaigns in Pakistan, South Asia and Europe. He has worked with the Aga Khan Foundation, Amnesty International and United Nations agencies. Since March 2019, he is the Secretary-General of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.He has published papers and spoken at national and international conferences on history, culture, politics and issues surrounding human rights and international development. He has written extensively in local and international newspapers.

48 Hassan Khan

Hassan Khan is Managing Director, Happy Palace Group of Schools, and Director, Academus International School, Karachi. He has a bachelor’s degree in Science, Mathematics and Economics from University College, London, and a Master’s in Advanced Studies and Mathematical Statistics from the University of Cambridge.

49 Haya Fatima Iqbal

Haya Fatima Iqbal is an Academy and two-time Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. She directs, produces, and lenses films across Pakistan. Haya is an Acumen fellow and a Fulbright alumna. She holds a Masters in News & Documentary from New York University. She teaches journalism and filmmaking at Habib University. She also trains people in storytelling and filmmaking internationally. Haya is the Co-Founder of the Documentary Association of Pakistan (DAP), an initiative to promote the culture of documentary watching in public spaces all over Pakistan.

50 HM Naqvi

H.M. Naqvi is an award-winning author based in Karachi. His debut, Home Boy, was awarded the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2011. His second novel, The Selected Works of Abdullah the Cossack was called “gorgeous, utterly original...a love letter to Karachi” by the Wall Street Journal. Naqvi has taught creative writing at Boston University and the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Over the years, he has appeared on CNN, NPR, and BBC World Service. Presently, he's working on his third novel and a collection of essays.

51 Huma Amir Shah

Huma Amir Shah is well recognizable as a former newscaster and talk show host, who has extensive experience in investigating, reporting and presenting news-making events, with an insight that comes only with commitment and experience. Up until recently Ms Shah conceptualized and hosted Pakistan’s only LIVE daily English Language breakfast show, ‘TheMorning Show with Huma Amir Shah’ on Express 24/7.

Ms Shah has 20 years experience of working with various television channels in Pakistan’s rapidly expanding electronic media.

Some of her shows included Huma’s Show (AAJ TV), Aaj Subh (AAJ TV), and Weekend World (PTV-World) to name a few.

 Huma is an IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) scholar , as well as a TEDx Fellow. Huma has also been a member of the Project for Muslim Female Journalists, Deutsch Welle: DW Akademie, Berlin, Germany.

Ms Shah has been invited to participate in seminars and conferences all over the world including India, Nepal, Germany and USA Ms Shah has a Masters degree in Defence & Strategic Studies from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and prior to working in media, she worked as a research officer with Pakistan’s eminent think tank Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)

For the past six years, Huma Amir Shah has been with Pakistan’s premier News channel Geo News, hosting the network’s game-changing flagship news breakfast show ‘Geo Pakistan’.

52 Dr Huma Baqai

Prof. Dr. Huma Baqai is the Rector of Millennium Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship (MiTE), Karachi. She has previously served as an Associate Professor of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts, IBA Karachi. Her teaching and research experience spans over a period of 25 years. She is a scholar, reviewer, author, and co-editor of two books titled Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations: Pitfalls and Way Forward published in 2021 and Making Sense of Post COVID-19 Politics published in 2020.

She is also the author of twenty-nine national and international research articles published in research journals. She has been associated with the electronic and print media for twenty plus years. She is also a certified corporate trainer and content developer working actively as a corporate trainer for the last fifteen years. In addition, Dr. Baqai serves on several advisory & governance boards.

53 Dr. Humair Yusuf

Dr. Humair Yusuf is a counselling psychologist and psychotherapist based in Karachi who works with individuals, couples and families. As a visiting faculty member at the Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts at IBA he has taught classes that explore the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, age, disability and religion in mental health and wellbeing, His research focuses on cultural factors underlying explanatory models and representations of distress. He has co-edited Counseling Across the Cultural Divide: The Clemmont E. Vontress Reader as well as contributed chapters to the Routledge International Handbook on Race and Culture in Mental Health, the International Counselling Case Studies Handbook and the Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy in an International Context amongst other academic papers and articles. He is involved with a number of mental health initiatives throughout Pakistan.

54 Hussain Haroon

Abdullah Hussain Haroon is a Pakistani politician, and businessman who served as Foreign Minister of Pakistan in the Mulk caretaker ministry. He previously served as the Speaker of Sindh Assembly and Pakistan Ambassador to the United Nations from September 2008 to October 2012. He is the grandson of Sir Abdullah Haroon, a politician, who Muhammad Ali Jinnah called one of the strongest pillars of the All-India Muslim League. He completed his education from Karachi Grammar School, and later finished his education at the University of Karachi.

55 Iftikhar Arif

Iftikhar Arif is an Urdu poet, scholar and littérateur from Pakistan. He has headed the Pakistan Academy of Letters and the National Language Authority. He has received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Presidential Pride of Performance awards, which are the highest literary awards given by the Government of Pakistan.

56 Imran Saqib

Imran Saqib is a Poet (Balochi & Urdu), an author of two books, short story writer and short filmmaker, producer/lyricist/composer of the first ever Baluchi feature film, ‘Doda' released in cinemas.

57 Inaamullah Nadeem

A poet, writer, translator, and a teacher by profession, Inaam Nadeem has eight books on his credit including a volume of Ghazals. His first book ‘Dar-e-Khawab’ received the Aks-e-Khushbu Poetry Prize in 2003. He has translated many English novels into Urdu including Omar Hamid Shahid’s ‘The Prisoner’ and Rabisankar Bal’s ‘Dozakhnama’ and ‘A Mirrored Life’. He has also translated and edited a volume of short stories of renowned Hindi fiction writer Bhisham Sahini. The book has been shortlisted for the 10th UBL literature & Arts award. His literary essays and articles about music are published frequently. He has also compiled an anthology about Asif Farrukhi, selected storied of Zakia Mashhadi, and complete works of poet Akbar Masoom. His latest book is a research-based anthology of Urdu prose poems in Pakistan.  

Inaam Nadeem born in Shahdadpur Sindh in 1967. He lives in Karachi and works at Habib University, Karachi as Assistant Professor.

58 Irshad Abdulkadir

Noted as a theatre critic and social activist, Irshad Abdulkadir finds a strong spiritual connection with the universal message of humanity while writing fiction. Irshad has graduated from Cambridge University and has an LLB from the University of London. He is a Barrister-at-Law and lecturer in legal studies, specializing in Common Law traditions and reasoning. His articles on socioeconomics, governance, and politics have appeared in newspapers and journals. His documentaries -- 'The Dancing Girl of Mohenjodaro' and 'The Parsis, from Persepolis to the Present Day' -- have received citations. He is the author of Clifton Bridge (2013) and The Deriabad Chronicles (2018). The Clifton Bridge stories are currently under negotiations for a TV series. Other novels written by him include, Prodigal and The Lady of Sohanbela.

59 Ishrat Husain

Dr Ishrat Husain is a Pakistani banker and economist who served as the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan from 1999-2006. From 2008-2016 he served as dean of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). Dr Ishrat Hussain received his MA in development economics in 1972 from the Williams College and his PhD from the Boston University in 1978. He received the Jinnah Award in 2005 for his services to people as Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. He was awarded the highest civilian award the Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 2015.

60 Syed Jaffar Ahmed

Professor Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed is a Karachi-based scholar and academic. His areas of expertise are Modern Indian History, Government and Politics, Research Methodology and socio-political issues. He has to his credit several publications and has participated in forums abroad. Dr Ahmed is currently Director of the Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi.

A keen of supporter of human rights, Dr Ahmed has worked closely with civil society organizations to bring about reforms, especially constitutional and democratization reforms.

61 Jamshed H. Mehemomji

CEO/ Co-Founder. Studied Economics at LSE, Executive Masters in Digital Transformation & Innovation from IE Business School, with 10+ years experience at J.P. Morgan, working across cross product teams covering Operations, Sales, Client Services, Product Management & Development. Most recently, Head of Liquidity Product Management. Also pioneered the banks Cash & Liquidity Data Analytics Program has experience running large Liquidity portfolio s & strategic transformation agendas. Working in Product Development and management with broad stakeholder engagement across functional areas (Finance, Treasury, Risk, Technology) equips him to be able to establish the foundations of a fortress Financial Institution

62 Javed Jabbar

Javed Jabbar is a Pakistani writer, media person, and politician. His views on politics and current affairs are well respected and well received. He has authored several books including What is Pakistaniat? 41 Elements of the Unique Paksitani National Identity and a political memoir A President, A Prime Minister and A Party: Interactions with Farooq Leghari, Meraj Khalid and the Millat Party.

63 Jeremy Vas

64 Kaifi Khalil

Singer and Composer Kaifi Khalil was part of Coke Studio Season 14. The song Kana Yaari Eva B and Wahab Bugti became an instant hit.

He is known for bringing a twist to traditional Balochi music by combining it with modern music. Kaifi Khalil and Eva B were the first people from Lyari who reached Coke Studio and Kaifi’s song Kahani Suno broke records in Pakistan.

65 Syed Kashif Raza

Syed Kashif Raza is a poet, fiction writer and translator based in Karachi. So far he has authored six books including two volumes of poetry and a novel. His first novel “Char Darvesh aur Aik Katchwa” (Four Dervishes and a Tortoise) won UBL prize for fiction in 2020 and was short-listed for the KLF prize for Urdu Literature in the same year.  

The novel deals with socio-political and psychological issues of the younger generation after 9/11 with a perspective from the past as well. He has taken an unstinting liberty with style which changes with each of the five main narrators and has used his prose in a playful manner to describe many of his characters. His prose is also ripe with allusions to historical events, political personalities, movies and Mir Amman’s famous “Tale of the four Dervishes”.

His poetry collections “Muhabbat ka Mahall-e-Wuqu” and “Mamnu Mausamon ki Kitab” were published in 2003 and 2012 respectively. His poems have been translated into English, Arabic, Hindi and Sindhi and were also published in the prestigious “Portland Review”. He writes prose poem, blank verse and ghazal genres.  

He has also published four translations including two books by Noam Chomsky. His Urdu translation of Muhammad Hanif’s novel “A Case of Exploding Mangoes” had a ripple effect on Pakistan’s literary scene. His translation of Arundhati Roy’s latest book “Azadi” was published in 2021 and his translation of Muniza Naqvi’s book “A Guest in the House” was published in 2022.

He has recently compiled a bilingual anthology with Naila Mehmood. The anthology is about the representation of corona experience in literature and arts. He is currently compiling and editing the translations of Eqbal Ahmed’s writings and George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” into Urdu. He is also working on a third volume of his poetry and his travel non-fiction.

Syed Kashif Raza has also translated writings of Milan Kundera, Jorge Luis Borges, James Joyce, Isabel Allende and others into Urdu.

Raza writes blogs for “Aik Rozan” “Laltain” and “Humsub” websites. He has written socio-political articles, literary essays and book reviews for Daily Dawn, The News International, Daily Jung and many literary magazines.

He is a broadcast journalist by profession and works for Geo News as Executive Producer.  

66 Kashif Misidia

Google Crowdsource Influencer & Community Leader from Pakistan.

Google Connect Moderator for Google Maps from Pakistan & Google Contributor/ Volunteer.

67 Kausar Saeed Khan

Formally educated in philosophy, & social sciences, Kausar’s experience of over 35 years has been with working to community-based organizations, NGOs, government and private sectors. Experience: Training/learning, since over 35 years, with urban and rural poor; Community based organizations, and small and large NGOs; government and private sectors . Primary concern/interest: relationship between social development and health outcomes; social and structural determinants of health; and role of community especially the vulnerable women and poor in health care. How to understand communities, and see them take charge of their lives. Key concepts: equity; gender; human rights; bioethics; power and its distribution; movements for social change; social transformation. Pedagogy: experiential learning; participatory approaches. Key thinkers for development: Paolo Freire; Augusto Boal; SALT approach; Bordeau; Foucault; Lord Budha.

68 Khurram Schehzad

Khurram is an Investment Banker, Development Economist and a Policy Advisor by profession with 18-year highly progressive career with a proven Board-level governance, leadership, management and team-building experience, coupled with the aptitude to direct and train strong teams in professional corporate, academic and voluntary work environments. He is an avid Development Economics, Finance and Investment professional, and an accomplished individual who has served in various leadership roles at bulge-bracket investment banking groups in both Private and Public sectors across key financial disciplines, including Investment Banking/Corporate Finance, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Capital Markets, Equity Strategy, Asset & Funds Management, Sales & Business Development, Discretionary/Non-Discretionary Portfolio Advisory, Restructuring/Privatisation of the SOEs, and Strategic Investment & Economic Policy and Reforms. He’s been serving on board/committees at various corporate and public sector platforms.

Mr. Schehzad is also an Entrepreneur, running a boutique Investment Banking/Analytics-driven Financial Strategy & Macro Policy Advisory platform that has been named in the top-29 most-innovative and fast-growing financial services companies in Pakistan by Startup Pill, UK. He also Co-founded Pakistan’s premier Artificial Intelligence company developing AI-driven Financial & Macro Insights and Investment analytics solutions, alongside a cutting-edge image-building/perception management firm, as an Executive Director. The roles he served have helped him turn into a Strategist and refined his persuasive Communication, policy Structuring and resourceful Execution capabilities while advising government, corporates and institutional investors. Mr. Schehzad has comprehensively developed/managed economic, financial and investment advisory teams, who not only mastered various aspects of finance, business and economy, building bespoke strategies for a diverse client base (both local & foreign), but also consistently delivered alpha/competitive value to both the public and private sectors.

69 Kishwar Naheed

Kishwar Naheed is an Urdu poet from Pakistan known primarily as a pioneering feminist poet. Born in 1940 in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh India, Kishwar was a witness to the violence (including rape and abduction of women) associated with partition. She migrated to Pakistan in 1949. Kishwar holds an M.A. degree in Economics from Punjab University, Lahore.

She is a prolific writer and 12 volumes of her poetry were published from Pakistan and India. Kishwar highlights the plight of women in a male-dominated society through her writings.  Her love for children is as much as her concern for women. She has written eight books for children and has won the prestigious UNESCO award for children's literature. Kishwar Naheed's sher-o-shayari includes her popular works like, Lab-e-Goya, Benaam Musafat, Nazmen, Galian, Dhoop, Darvaze, Yeh Hum Gunahgar Aurtain Hain, etc.

70 Laal: Mahvash Waqar

Mahvash Waqar is a vocalist in the band Laal. By day she helps to run accounts and Indesign and also manages Laal’s campaign for tolerance called Music For Peace.

71 Laal: Nadeem Hassan

Nadeem Hassan is the drummer for Laal. In addition he also plays for Josh and Shazia Manzoor.

72 Laal: Nawaz Ali

Nawaz Ali is a music producer and rhythm guitarist of Laal. In addition he plays for Amanat and QB.

73 Laal: Sarah Waqar

Sarah Waqar is a vocalist for the band Laal and is also a top relationship manager executive at Swift.

74 Laal: Salman Malik

Salman Malik is Laal’s long time bass guitarist. He has been part of the band since the founding of the band. In addition he plays for Jawad Ahmed and Amanat Ali Khan.

75 Laal and Taimur Rahman

Laal is a progressive band for peace and tolerance in Pakistan and South Asia. With performances spanning several venues and countries, including the Royal Festival Hall in London, the motivation behind the band is to bring the works of the great poets of Pakistan to the youth in a fresh and contemporary way. Over the past 13 years Laal has played in the streets, schools, villages, prisons and other corners of Pakistan, delivering happiness and inclusiveness to the marginalised communities forgotten by most change makers of the country.

Taimur Rahman is professor of political science at LUMS, an author, activist and the moving spirit of the band Laal. He is guitarist and vocalist and put together the band to popularise progressive ideas in Pakistan

76 Maheen Usmani

Maheen Usmani is an author with a rich and diversified background as a media practitioner, content creator and educationist in Europe and Asia. An award-winning journalist, she has impeccable writing, editorial and analytical skills.

77 Mahenau Agha

Mahenau Agha is senior advisor, Sustainable Finance at UNDP. She has over 35 years of international experience in the field of Sustainable Development and Outreach. Agha is passionate about animal rights and the conservation of nature.

78 Dr. Maqsood Ahmed, T.I, QPM, PSP

Dr Maqsood Ahmed, Tamgha e Imtiaz, is currently serving as DIG & Emergency Services Division Karachi, Sindh Police. This division includes the 15 emergency response service, and the famous Special Security Unit, which specializes in close protection, VIP security and close quarter combat. The SSU is responsible for keeping the likes of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers safe.  

After getting his MBA from IBA Karachi in 2000, he received an MSc from the London School of Economics in in Criminal Justice Policy (2008), and a PhD from University of Northumbria, Newcastle, UK in 2021 on “Terrorism Financing in Pakistan.

He has been awarded the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (2022), Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (2012), Gold Medal in Boxing (1997) and  Best Shooter – Short Range Weapon Firing Competition (1996).

Research Papers & Publications

-  “Gaps between Modern Criminal Justice Systems of developed countries and Present Criminal Justice System in Pakistan and measures to improve the system”

-  “White Collar Crimes, The research explores the recent developments in these forms of crimes in Pakistan and the capabilities of the criminal justice system to safeguard the victims of crimes from further damages.”

-  “Terrorism Financing in Pakistan”, an research article published in „The News‟ on April 30, 2022

Professional Pursuits

-  Deputy Inspector General of Police, Security & Emergency Services Division, Sindh.

-  Director General, Safe Cities Authority (SSCA), Sindh

-  President, International Police Organisation (IPO), Pakistan

-  Vice Chairman, International Police Association (IPA), Sindh Chapter

-  Established a world class ISO certified Police Unit in Pakistan named “Special Security Unit”

International Exposure

-  Interpol STADIA Safety & Security Training Programme for Major International Sporting Events in January 2020.

-  The Cyber Threat Landscape for Law Enforcement Executives Course by FBI National Academy (2019)

-  General Course of Instruction afforded by the FBI National Academy (2019)

-  International Police Association (IPA) 64th World Congress at Croatia (2019)

-  International Police Association (IPA) 63rd World Congress at Netherlands (2018)

-  International Police Association (IPA) 62nd World Congress at Bulgaria (2017)

-  International Police Association (IPA) 61st World Congress at New Zealand (2016)

-  International Association of Chiefs of police (IACP) Annual Conference & Exposition at Chicago, Illinois USA (2015)

-  XXI International Police Association (IPA) World congress of the International Police  Association at Limassol Cyprus (2015)

-  39th International Executive conference (IEC) in Potsdam Germany(2014)

-  International Executive conference (IEC) meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark (2013)

-  Seminar for “Senior Law Enforcement Officers from Pakistan” in Beijing, China (2012)

-  International Visitor Leadership program: “Community Dialogue and Dispute Resolution” A

-  Program of United States Department of State; Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (2011)

-  Seminar on Diversity-Cultural, Spiritual, Psychological Dimensions of Dispute Resolution at Texas Wesleyan School of Law (2011)

-  Dialogue in Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Centre for Dispute Settlement, Rochester, USA (2011)

-  Interfaith Study and Dialogue, at The Centre for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, Nazareth College, Rochester, New York, USA (2011)

-  Dialogue at M.K. Gandhi Institute for Non-violence at University of Rochester, Rochester, USA (2011)

-  Seminar on Restorative Practices, at Partners in Restorative Initiatives, Rochester, New York, USA (2011)

-  International Crime Science Conference 2011, by UCL Secret London at British Library, London ( 2011)

-  International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) Abu Dhabi, UAE (2011)

-  Counter Terror Expo, London, UK (2011)

79 Masood Lohar

Masood Lohar is an award-winning Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation expert with over two decades experience. Masood is an activist for urban resilience and ecosystem restoration and promotes urban forests and urban wetlands. He is founder and director of Clifton Urban Forest, where within 22 months he has successfully planted 700,000 trees of 83 species including mangroves on a site which was a debris and plastic dump site at Clifton, Karachi Pakistan.

In his previous role, Masood has remained National Head of UNOPS-UNDP GEF Small Grants Program (SGP), Pakistan for 14 years until March 2020.  With a geographic focus on Sindh, Masood supervised designing and implementation of 221 projects on climate change adaptation, NRM, climate smart agriculture, enterprise development, forestry, low-cost energy efficient and disaster resisting housing in over 51 districts of Pakistan GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). His “Benazir Housing Project” was twice recognized by UN Global South – South Expos 2010 in the World Bank at Washington DC and at FAO in Rome 2012. Winner of the Presidential Benazir Bhutto Human Rights Award 2010, in recognition of the pioneering and innovative work towards improving the quality of life of poor and marginalized remote communities Masood is known for his innovative solutions for climate resilience in Pakistan.

80 Moni Mohsin

Moni Mohsin was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan. She is an award winning author of three novels. She has also published three collections of her popular satirical column, The Diary of a Social Butterfly. She now lives in the UK and is currently writing a novel about the South Asian diaspora in London.

81 Murtaza Wahab

Murtaza Wahab, Bar-at-Law, LLB, is a lawyer by profession. He currently holds the positions of Administrator of Karachi, and Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Law and Spokesperson to the Government of Sindh. His position has the status of Provincial Minister and has been part of the cabinet since formulated in August 2018 and has held portfolios such as Anti-Corruption Establishment, Environment, Coastal Development and Information.

He has been appointed as Administrator of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation by the Government of Sindh in August 2021, a position expected to be held till an elected local government is in place.

Murtaza Wahab has held the position of Advisor on Law from May 2015 till November 2016.

He was also elected unopposed as member Senate in August 2017, a position he held till retirement in March 2018.

Murtaza Wahab is also Deputy Information Secretary of PPP Sindh.

82 Mustafa Arbab

Mustafa Arbab,  is a poet,  short story writer, and translator, who writes in both sindhi and urdu. Born in a village of District Miṛpur Khas, Sindh, in 1967,  he obtained Master's Degree in urdu from sindh University and began his literary career as a short story writen in 1984. A Collection of his poems Khawab our Aadmi was published in 1999. An other poems book "Pa Bureeda Nazmain" is in publishing process. His works are published in well-established literary journals of the indo- pak subcontinent. Presently he is serving in College Education Department as Associate Professor of Urdu.

83 Muhammad Bilal

Google Crowdsource Influencer,

Google Maps Contributor/ Volunteer & Google Street View Photographer

84 Maarya Rehman

85 Mariya Dada

With a degree from LUMS, Mariya is navigating through the corporate world and trying to figure out how to adult. When she is not struggling with her imposter syndrome, Mariya loves taking decisions and not sticking with them. In between laughing at her own jokes, Mariya enjoys aerial yoga and speaks in Bollywood references.

86 Meher Afroze

87 Muhammad Salman

Muhammad Salman is a Karachi-based journalist. He writes under the pen name Peerzada Salman. He has been associated with Daily Dawn for the last 19 years. He writes on culture, art and literature. Muhammad Salman wrote a column on Karachi’s colonial buildings, Stone Age, from 2009 to 2013 for Dawn’s Metro pages. In 2021, a collection of his English short stories Ephemera published by The Little Book Company online.

88 Nadeem Farooq Paracha

89 Nadeem Husain

Nadeem is a leading social impact entrepreneur, technology investor and financial inclusion pioneer. Nadeem is the founder of Planet N Group, a high-tech and social impact investment firm with portfolio companies in Pakistan, Egypt, UAE and UK. Nadeem previously founded Telenor Microfinance Bank (previously Tameer), one of the world’s best performing and most impactful Microfinance Banks, now owned by Telenor and Alibaba. Nadeem is dedicated to furthering financial inclusion and fostering development through digitization. Nadeem is a global authority on Financial Inclusion and Development through Digitisation, and has been a speaker at Harvard, Columbia, Wharton, Princeton, Georgetown, Google and the United Nations (where he also chaired the Millennium Development Goals session on Financial Inclusion

90 Nadeem Mirbahar

Mr Nadeem Mirbahar is an ecologist by profession and a  research fellow. He has more than 17 years of experience in planning, management, and conservation of natural resources and biological diversity. As an expert, he is actively involved with one of IUCN’s Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) since 2007. He has been working on climate change, adaptations, nature-based solutions, building resilience through nature, wildlife management, species conservation, water, renewables, food security, urban ecology, forestry, drylands marine, and  coastal resources, community development, and on socio-ecological systems. He has been volunteering technical support to civil society and managers on Urban Forestry and biodiversity conservation restoration projects in Megapolis Karachi and other parts of the country. He is also a member and working with Global Regeneration CoLab (GRC) and Community. He has also published a number of articles in environmental magazines, newsletters, and national papers. He has diverse experience working with national, international, and Government Organisations

91 Naila Mahmood

Naila Mahmood is a Karachi based visual artist, writer and documentary photographer. Her lens-based works investigate the complexities of urban spaces and human rights issues. She often examines the social and spatial inequality of hidden gendered spaces. Her artwork has been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally and she has been a speaker at various universities. She is an educator and has been an adjunct faculty at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. She has also taught at University of Karachi and Habib University, Karachi. She served as the Director of Vasl Artists' Association (2008–2022), and is editor of the volume “Between Quarantine and Quest,” a bilingual anthology of art, poetry and writings.

92 Natalia Gul

With a degree in Dentistry Natalia is everything but a dentist, she followed her passion and pursued a career in arts and entertainment. Feeling the need of having more spaces for arts and entertainment she ventured into having her own enterprise The Jungle PK, where she arranges regular comedy open mics which is a platform for new and seasoned comics and also gives comedy workshops to women surely living up to her title of Madr e Comedy.

93 Dr Nauman Naqvi

94 Nikhil Raichur (joining virtually)

Google Crowdsource Program Manager for Asia

95 Nirmala Maghani

Nirmala Maghani is a Sufi, ghazal, classical and folk Singer from Umerkot, Tharparkar, Sindh. She has performed at the Faiz Festival, Lahore, and twice in the UK.

96 Dr Noman Baig

97 Noor Ul Huda Shah

Noor ul Huda Shah is a Pakistani dramatist and former caretaker minister. She is well-known Sindhi language and Urdu language playwright, novelist and a former Provincial Minister of Sindh, Pakistan.

98 Nuzhat Pathan

Member National Assembly of Pakistan. Chairperson National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change

99 Omayr Saiyid

100 Pomme Amina Gohar

Pomme is the CEO of  Phenomena and is known for her style savvy events and art and lighting direction. In her capacity as a creative she has worked with leading artists, partnered with charity galas and is known for her artistic decor. She has collaborated with Ameena Saiyid for all ADAB Festival events and various literary events. In 2022, Pomme and Phenomena will be involved in the ADAB Festival as Master of Ceremony and for artistic decor. Highlighting the importance of climate change this year; Pomme will also curate an art show "The Lost Lullaby of Mother Nature" by Fauzia Minallah. Pomme will also coordinate Sharmeen Obaid's Film Screening on "Pakistan Climate Change Heroes''

101 Pramod Kapoor (will join virtually from Delhi)

Born in Calcutta , educated in Krishnamurti Foundation and Besant Theosophical School Banaras , a graduate in Business Management , PRAMOD KAPOOR was trained in publishing in Macmillan India. Founder  and publisher of Roli Books (established in 1978), Pramod Kapoor  has, over the course of his illustrious career, conceived and produced award-winning books that have proven to be game-changers in the world of publishing. Be it the hit 'Then and Now' series and the seminal Made for Maharajas or the internationally acclaimed Gandhi: An Illustrated Biography, which is published in fourteen editions in most major languages worldwide.

In 2016, he was conferred with the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), the highest civil and military award in France, for his contribution towards producing books that have changed the landscape of Indian publishing. He is also a recipient of the Mahatma Award 2021 (an Aditya Birla Group initiative) for Lifetime Achievement for his contribution to publishing and literature in India.

Pramod Kapoor is a life member of Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage ( INTACH ) . A Senior member , formerly serving as Executive Council member of Motovun Group of International Publishers , a prestigious international group of art and illustrated book publishers from over twenty countries throughout the world , he has served on the Advisory Board of National Gallery of Modern Art and on the board of Standing Technical Committee , Lok Sabha ( Parliament ) Secretariat on Maintenance of Heritage Character and Development of Parliament House Complex. He is a member of Art and Cultural Committee of FICCI          , senior member India International Centre , India Habitat Centre and of over a century old Sangeet Parishad , Varanasi , that promotes Indian Classical Music . He currently lives in Landour , Mussoorie, in the foothills of the Himalayas .

His latest book  1946 : Last War of Independence, Royal Indian Navy Mutiny is a result of his years of research and deep interest in the period and personalities who have left a mark in the subcontinent's history.

102 Quatrina Hosain

Quatrina Hosain is a senior journalist and television anchor. She has a special interest in climate change and ecology. As a born Karachiite, she is particularly interested in seeking solutions for urban protection. Currently, she is working on animal welfare and developing programmes to humanely reduce urban populations of stray animals. She hosted Siyasi Log on Express News and later hosted D Chowk on AbbTakk. She was the Editor of The News and bureau chief of AFP, the French news agency, for several years before moving to television journalism

103 Rabya Rizwan

Teacher by profession, actor and comedian by passion. Rabya believes in living in the moment and taking risks for what she truly believes in, which has polished her into a confident and assertive woman and there's no denying she's proud of that achievement.

104 Ramazan Baloch

Ramazan Baloch is a well-known writer from Lyari Karachi and the author of four books. His book “ Lyari ki unkahi kahani “ was nominated for UBL prize.

105 Rizwan Shah

Google Crowdsource Influencer,

Google Maps Contributor/ Volunteer, Food Vlogger & Freelancing Gold Medalist

106 Romeena Kureishy

107 Rosemary Mushtaq

Rosemary starting singing since childhood, vocal training in particular. She was given a chance on a PTV show FUN TIME. That gave her the opportunity to audition for an Indian realty show, CHOTE USTAAD in 2010 which was aired on STAR PLUS. Rosemary has sung several jingles, OSTs and film songs. She contested in the Pakistan Idol and became one of the Top 5 only female contestant. She has sung the Defence Day song "Nazrana"  for ISPR.

108 Rubina Chandio

Rubina Chandio is one of the pioneers of women’s social activism in Sindh. She is a social activist, gender expert, trainer/facilitator, development manager, and social columnist. She has been working for many years on women’s issues such as violence against women, women’s mobility, honor killings, and sexual harassment.  Her work on emergency response is notable: she worked in the last floods/disasters/COVID-19 and is currently striving for flood-affected communities’ rights, focusing on women’s needs.

109 Rumana Husain

Rumana Husain is a writer, artist and educator.

She is the author of two acclaimed coffee-table books: ‘Karachiwala - a Subcontinent within a City’ about Karachi’s diverse communities, and ‘Street Smart – Professionals on the Street’.  Moreover, she has authored/illustrated over 65 children’s books for several publishers, and has won awards for four of her books in Pakistan, Nepal and India. She is also a contributor to various national newspapers and magazines.  

From 1986-1996 she was head of a private school in Karachi, and co-founded the Bookgroup for children’s books. She also wrote innumerable teachers’ manuals, and trained teachers across the country. From 1996 to 2000 she served as Bookgroup’s Director. She later worked as Head Activism & Outreach of the Children’s Museum for Peace and Human Rights (CMPHR) for eight years, and as its Consultant until 2020. She was the Founding Senior Editor of NuktaArt - an international art magazine that was published for a decade.

Husain is an honorary Advisor on the board of the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF), a Founding Member and Member of the Executive Committee of I Am Karachi – a social movement, and a Member of the Advisory Committee of the International Public Art Festival – IPAF. She is also an honorary General Secretary of the Karachi Conference Foundation.

110 Dr Rukhsana Saba

Poet, critic, write, and scholar.

Former Assistant Editor

Monthly " Qaumi Zaban"

Research journal " Urdu"

Ex-Member of the Editorial Board of Anjuman Taraqqi e Urdu Pakistan,

Ex-Member of the Visiting faculty of Urdu Department, Karachi University.

Books:

1- Raakh Raushan he( poetry collection)

2-Taweel Nazmen aur Jameeluddin Aali ki Nazm " Insaan".(Ph D Thesis)

3- Jehaat e SirSyed( Compilation)

The second collection of her poetry and a collection of essays are under publication.

111 Saad Shafqat

A neurologist by profession and an author by inclination, Saad Shafqat is professor of neurology at Aga Khan University in Karachi in addition to being a novelist and cricket columnist. His first novel “Breath of Death” (Chlorophyll), a medical thriller, was published in 2013 and his second novel “Rivals” (Bloomsbury), a hospital drama, was published in 2021. Saad has also co-authored “Cutting Edge” (Oxford), the autobiography of Javed Miandad, as well as penned cricket columns and articles for ESPNCricinfo, DAWN, The News International, and The Wisden Cricketer.

112 Safinah Danish Elahi

Safinah Danish Elahi is a lawyer, poet, and novelist from Pakistan. Her poetry collection ‘The Unbridled Romance of Romance of Love and Pain’ was labeled epiphanic by the nations leading newspaper Dawn. Her debut novel, Eye on the Prize, published in 2020, and translated into Urdu has been converted into a TV series. Her second novel, the Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon launches in May 2023 in the UK. She is also the founder of an award-winning publishing house, Reverie Publishers. She is an alumnus/scholar at the International Writer’s Program with the University of Iowa Fall Residency 2022. She is earning an MFA in Publishing and Fiction at Emerson College USA. Her work has been translated into Spanish, Arabic and Korean.

113 Sahar Habib Ghazi

Sahar is a journalist, and design thinking trainer, and she runs an Instagram community on desi parenting for the future called 2030Mama. Sahar has worked in newsrooms for 18 years. Currently, Sahar is a Senior Editor, Asia Pacific for VICE World News and board member for Media Matters for Democracy. Sahar ran digital news operations at Global Voices from 2012-2018; she has reported for The New York Times; produced for Geo TV and DawnNews TV, a channel she helped launch in 2007. Sahar also does stand-up comedy - you might catch her on stage in Karachi cracking jokes about the absurdity of the world she reports on.

114 Saife Hasan

Saife Hasan began his career on stage in 1996 with the theatre group Tehrik e Niswan in Karachi. With a diverse experience of working on stage with Pakistani and international directors, he moved on to television as an actor and director, working independently for various channels and then more prominently for Hum TV. He has been awarded for his direction of well-known drama series, including Bari Apa, Sang e Marmar, and Ehd e Wafa. Saife Hasan is a co founder of Zambeel Dramatic Readings, an initiative that dramatizes texts from Urdu literature for a live audience.

115 Samana Butul

I'm Samana Butul doing my major in Comparative Literature. Urdu literature has always been my interest. From Mir to Faiz, diversity, and manifestation is what I study. At Habib, it's a privilege to get an Urdu Literary Environment under the umbrella of Arzu Center. They make us learn not only about Urdu literature in antiquity but about the contemporary Urdu Poets and authors among us. This enabled us to learn Urdu, not as a language of the past but as the expression of our tradition, culture, and identity.

116 Sameena Shah Zaman

117 Dr Samina Zahir

Dr Samina Zahir has over 20 years of research and consultancy experience, working with arts organisations, creative industries, artists and development agencies.

She founded Hybrid in 2001, providing a range of specialist support to help drive and facilitate successful cultural/community projects and related activity.

She specialises in action research and is familiar with processes of research, action, analysis, and evaluation leading to change in partnership with stakeholders.  

She’s the author of ‘Speaking Truth to Power’ the first Arts Council England epistolary report on identity, ethnicity and aesthetics, with Professor Gus John and Arts and Refugees for Arts Council England, Baring Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation, just two of nearly 100 evaluations and research that Hybrid has produced.

She is delivering a leadership programme for seven national museums/ galleries including The Design Museum, Tate, V&A, Liverpool Museums, Bristol Museums, the National Portrait Gallery and The Postal Museum.

As a producer and curator she’s delivered programmes such as Inhabit, a participatory arTea programme on local high streets, British Summertime, commissions with visual arts organisations and Terrace Wires, Shezad Dawood’s new public artwork for HS1, St Pancras Station in London.

She has extensive commissioning and programme experience including the 2012 Olympics and Creative People and Places.  

She is a Fellow of the RSA.

118 Samya Kadri Paracha

Economist. Banker. Stock Broker. Fund Manager. Educationalist and now Charity Worker.  

Since the Covid 19 period I have been raising funds and delivering Emergency Relief.  This has culminated into Flood Relief in 2022. My 2 passions of travelling and helping marginalised communities of society has lead to a fulfilling career. I hope to move forward with my Donors on facilitating girls in higher education in Pakistan

119 Shah Murad Aliani

Member Prime Minister’s Climate Change Council. Former Country Representative, International Union for Conservation of Nature-Pakistan.  Shah Murad Aliani is heading a team of experts and working with a local NGO in Baluchistan for post-flood rehabilitation in Las Bela district. His main emphasis is on sustainable development, climate change resilience, disaster risk reduction, and gender empowerment and livelihoods.  Also engaging with businesses and corporate sector to build capacity on and mainstream ESG.

120 Shahab Karamat

Shahab Karamat is a retired chief engineer, PIA. He was educated in Urdu philosophy and international relations and has an MBA. He has a passion for reading and writing Urdu poetry and prose. Shahab is currently pursuing the cause of protecting the ecology around Karachi.

121 Shaheen Gul

Google Crowdsource Influencer & Google Maps Contributor/ Volunteer, YouTube Content Creator

122 Shahid Sayeed Khan

123 Shama Askari

124 Shanaz Wazir Ali

Shahnaz Wazir Ali is a Pakistani politician and social worker. She has served as member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013. She was inducted into the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and was made Adviser to the Prime Minister on Social Sector. In 2012, she was appointed as a special assistant to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf with the status of minister of state. Shahnaz has spent many years in teaching and administrative positions in the private sector. She is a Trustee of the Education Trust which runs Nasra Schools for children of low-income families in Karachi and provides education to more than 10,000 students.

125 Shamshad Akhtar

Dr Shamshad Akhtar is a Pakistani development economist, United Nations diplomat and banker who also served as the caretaker Finance Minister of Pakistan. Prior to that, she served as the 14th Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, the first woman to assume this position. She also served as a senior adviser to the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon and as Vice-President of the World Bank.

In December 2013, Akhtar was selected by the UN Secretary-General as Under-Secretary-General and the 10th Chief Secretary of the Monetary and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).Shamshad Akhtar was born in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.

126 Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is a journalist, filmmaker, and humanitarian most widely known for her Academy Award-winning documentary shorts: Saving Face and A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness. Obaid-Chinoy has dedicated her filmmaking career to shining a light on some of the most complex sociopolitical issues around the globe and has established herself a reputation for spotlighting the untold stories of women subject to injustice. Obaid-Chinoy’s Oscar wins for Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness earned her a monumental visit with the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2016, which ultimately impacted legislation and helped push through the long-stalled honor killing bill, the controversial law subject of her short.

Obaid-Chinoy helms SOC Films, a Pakistan-based film and animation production company specializing in investigative and socially motivated content. Under this banner, Obaid-Chinoy continues her mission to further social consciousness and bring about meaningful legislative and societal change. Obaid-Chinoy has made over two dozen films in over 16 countries under her production house label, including her

 acclaimed shorts and other notable projects such as Student-Athlete, Song of Lahore, and A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers. Obaid-Chinoy is also the founder of Waadi Animations, Pakistan’s first female-led animation company. Waadi earned the honor of producing Pakistan’s first HD animated and highest-grossing animated film feature film, 3 Bahadur and in 2020, Pakistan’s first animated short film, Sitara: Let Girls Dream, distributed globally by Netflix. Upcoming, Obaid-Chinoy infuses her signature style and verisimilitude she brings to her nonfiction projects into her narrative directorial debut for Marvel’s highly anticipated series, Ms. Marvel. Marvel’s seventh series installment will chronicle the MCU’s first Muslim character, Pakistani-American teenager, Kamala Khan, who acquires superpowers similar to that of her hero, Captain Marvel, and must navigate conflicts not only amongst supervillains in Jersey City but at home and in high school.

127 Shayma Saiyid

128 Sheema Kermani

Sheema started training in Indian Classical dance, at the age of fourteen, with dance Gurus Mr. and Mrs. Ghanshyam in Karachi. She later joined their institute as a member of their staff and performing troupe. She went to India to study dance in 1981, 1983, 1988 and then in 1990 on an ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) scholarship. She lived in Delhi and studied the classical forms of Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak dance from renowned Gurus of international fame - Leela Samson of Kalakshetra, Odissi Gurus Mayadaur Raut and Aloka Pannikar, and Kathak with Ram Mohan. She has been teaching classical dance since 1980 and has produced a number of very committed students who are now part of her troupe and perform with her all over the world.

129 Dr. Shehzad Jeeva

Dr. Shehzad Jeeva was appointed the Director, Aga Khan University Examination Board in 2014 and served the board as director for seven and half years. He was recently appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AKU-EB for his significant and impactful contributions towards the development of the examination board. He holds a joint appointment as an Associate Professor of Practice, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, AKU. In 2022, Dr. Jeeva received the prestigious AKU’s “Award of Distinction” in recognition of his outstanding commitment and contributions for strengthening AKU-EB.

He is a strong advocate of quality education and assessment. In 2020, Dr Jeeva was

appointed as Chairman of Inter Board Committee of Chairman (IBCC) by the Ministry of Federal Education, Government of Pakistan. To address the issue of promotion due to the COVID-19 crisis, under the leadership of Dr Jeeva as Chairman IBCC, Promotion Policy Guideline was developed and approved by the government of Pakistan. Later in 2021 he was appointed as the chairman of National Steering Committee of IBCC. Dr Jeeva is also the member of National Curriculum Council, Punjab Examination Commission (PEC), Sindh Curriculum Council, Steering Committee (Sindh) and Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board among many other high-level strategic government committees. In 2022, Dr Jeeva’s efforts has led to an agreement between the IBCC members to improve the standards and fix Pakistan’s educational examination grading system to match it to the international best practices. The new grading system will annually impact over 4.0M students in Pakistan who would be appearing for the high-stake examinations and also impacting around 50.0M

students (grades 1-8).

In 2018-19, Dr Jeeva provided consultancy to Asian Development Bank as National Assessment Expert to develop project to improve Secondary Education in Sindh. Dr Jeeva also chairs the Technical Committee of PEC to provide guidance for developing strategy for formative assessment. In 2021 Dr Jeeva played a key role as member of the Board of PEC to develop Assessment Policy Framework for the Government of Punjab. From 2018-2020, he successfully co-led the capacity building of Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission in student assessment which was funded by UNICEF and European Union. Internationally, Dr Jeeva was appointed in 2021 as the Board of Trustee of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) and is also one of the Founding Members of the Recognition Committee of IAEA which is working to develop international standards in examinations and assessment.

Dr Jeeva did his PhD in Chemistry from University of Cambridge, UK. His PhD thesis was awarded Toby Jackman Prize for the best PhD thesis at Cambridge. He also received prestigious Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship, Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship, Lundgren Award, and several student awards to complete his PhD. Later, he did post-doctoral fellowships from University of York (United Kingdom) and then from McGill University (Canada). He has authored over 30 publications at the national and the international levels. Recently, a chapter he authored was also published in the book “Reforming School Education in Pakistan and Language Dilemma”.

130 Sherry Rehman

Senator Sherry Rehman is the Federal Minister of Climate Change, Parliamentary Leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the Senate, as well as the party’s Vice-President. She is the Founding Chair of the Jinnah Institute, a fourth-term Parliamentarian, diplomat, journalist, and civil society activist who has received Pakistan’s highest civil award, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. Rehman was also the founding chair of the Senate Parliamentary Caucus on Climate Change and has served as Chair of Pakistan Red Crescent.

As former editor of the “Herald” newsmagazine based in Pakistan, Rehman is an award-winning journalist with 20 years of experience in both the broadcast and print media. Rehman has served as the Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting. She has also Chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of Pakistan, and held additional portfolios of Health, Women Development, and Culture as a Federal Minister.

Rehman has received several awards including the title of Democracy’s Hero; The Freedom Award for her work for media independence; the International Peace Award for Democrats; and the Jeanne Kirkpatrick Award for Women. Identified as one of the Top Global Thinkers of 2011 by Foreign Policy magazine, she was cover-titled by Newsweek Pakistan as “Pakistan’s Most Important Woman”.

Her latest book, Womansplaining  navigates modernity, politics and activism in Pakistan through the prism of 22 women activists, leaders and academics speaking in their own voices. She has also co-authored the book Five Hundred Years of The Kashmiri Shawl with Naheed Jafri, which was published in 2006 and was awarded the prestigious R. L. Shep Ethnic Textiles Book Award from the Textile Society of America.

131 Sketches and Saif Samejo

The Sketches is a Sufi folk rock band from Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, created by young musician Saif Samejo. Their motherland has always been a major inspiration which is portrayed in their work. The love for their language and culture is aimed to bring back the departed old identity and to produce quality work in order to sensitize the world in general and the youth in specific about the grace of Sindhi. Musician Saif Samejo is the founder, lead vocalist and songwriter of the Pakistani Sufi folk band The Sketches. He is also the brainchild of the popular Lahooti Melo, a music festival which is running in its seventh year. Saif was born on 23 January 1984 in Khairpur, Sindh.

Saif composed the music for Dastan-e Momal Rano for Coke Studio. He launched the Lahooti Live Sessions in June 2013, which is a weekly activity where different musicians from Sindh gather to play live music. In May 2014 he set up the first proper music school, the Lahooti Music Aashram (school), in Hyderabad, Sindh. The School is an extension of the Lahooti Live Sessions that Saif started a year before, with the intent of preserving indigenous instruments and instrumentalists.

132 Sketches: Ashfaq Ahmed (Nomi)

133 Sketches: Ahsan Iqbal

134 Sketches: Nafees Noor Ahmed

135 Sketches: Zeeshan Pervaiz

136 Shoaib Hassan

Fashion model and actor.

137 Simi Kamal

Simi Kamal is the founder and chairperson of Hisaar Foundation and the vice chair of International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Educated at Cambridge University, she has 40 plus years of global and national experience in water, climate changes and related sectors. She is also a women’s rights activist and campaigner.

138 Sultana Siddiqui

Sultana Siddiqui began her career in 1974 as a producer at PTV. Apart from social issues, she has also focused on women empowerment and education and has been associated with reputable NGOs which are working on women's issues. She has represented Pakistan on numerous global platforms and has been on the boards of many organizations in various capacities. Sultana Siddiqui is the recipient of a large number of awards including The Gr8! Women Award 2015, Leadership Award 2014 and President Award of Pride of Performance - Government of Pakistan.

139 Swalay Muhammad

Google Crowdsource Influencer, Google Maps Contributor/Volunteer & Google Street View Photographer, Tourist Guide

140 Swaleha M. Saleem

141 Stephen Abraham (joining virtually from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia)

Google Crowdsource Influencer & Google Connect Moderator

142 Taha Kehar

Taha Kehar is a novelist, journalist and literary critic. He is the author of Typically Tanya and Of Rift and Rivalry, and co-editor of The Stained-Glass Window: Stories of the Pandemic from Pakistan. Kehar curates “Tales from Karachi: City of Words”, an Instagram e-anthology that publishes flash fiction from and about Karachi. In 2021, he compiled and edited the first print anthology of the initiative. His third novel, No Funeral for Nazia, will be published in 2023 by the UK-based Neem Tree Press.

143 Taimur Mirza

144 Tanveer Anjum

Tanveer Anjum is a distinguished poet, Tanveer Anjum emerged on the scene of Urdu poetry in the1970s, which were the times of the prose-poem movement in Pakistan and Anjum made her name in the new genre. She has published seven collections of poems: Andekhi Lehrein (1982), Safar aur Qaid mein Nazmein (1992), Toofani Barishon mein Raqsan Sitarey (1997), Zindagi Mere Pairon se Lipat Jaaegi (2010), Naye Naam ki Mohabbat (2013), Hashyon mein Rang (2016) and Frame se Bahar (2016). Her one collection of ghazals Sar-o-Barg-e-Arzoo was published in 2001 and a bilingual compilation of her selected poems with English translations appeared as Fireworks on a Windowpane in 2014. In 2020, a collection of her poems selected from her seven collections was published as Nai Zabaan ke Huruf (Alphabet of a New Language). Anjum has also contributed to Urdu literary magazines with her translations from world literature and literary criticism.

145 Tariq Alexander Qaiser

Tariq Alexander Qaiser is an architect, environmentalist, filmmaker, writer of prose and poetry and lover of nature and life. Tariq’s architectural career has spanned 37 years, encompassing schools, hospitals to mobile architecture and boats. His art has been exhibited in 11 group and solo gallery shows. He is the author of two published poetry and photography books. Tariq has a passion for the natural world and has spent the last decade photographing, filming and writing about the mangroves of the Korangi Creeks in Karachi. The Time Magazine in their “Oceans Issue” of July 2022, published an 8-page spread on Tariq’s story on the mangroves. Just recently Tariq has returned from COP27 in Sharm al Sheikh, Egypt, where he spoke and showed his film: “A STORY OF SURVIVAL”.

146 Tashina Nur

Tashina Nur is an early childhood educationist and a professional children's storyteller. She has over 30 years experience as a pre-primary teacher, trainer and curriculum developer. Her 'Unique System of Learning' combines storytelling with interactive activities to enhance learning and child development. She is a weekly storyteller on the Joy of Urdu Kids Storytime and has been invited to do a series of children stories on the Dawn TV show Chai, Toast and Host and at the Oxford University Press. As a part of the Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aaghi she is a teacher trainer and a storyteller. Tashina is an active member of multiple charitable organizations.

147 Uzma Farman Farooqui

Dr Uzma Farman Farooqui is the chairperson of the Urdu Department at Karachi University. She received her MA in Urdu in 1992 and PhD in Urdu in 1999 from Karachi University. She has been teaching Urdu since 1993. She has published over 25 papers and her research thesis "اردو تحقیق و تنقید میں خواتین کا حصہ" (The role of women in Urdu research and criticism) was published by Karachi University. Her second book is " اردو میں نسائی تنقید" (Feminist Criticism in Urdu).

Dr Farman Farooqui also spent a few years in Canada where she worked with York District School Board after completing the International Language Instructor Training Program and continued Urdu instruction for after school language programs and also worked as a translator.

She has supervised five PhD dissertations, all of which were awarded degrees.

148 Uzma Noorani

Uzma Noorani is a dedicated social activist with over 30 years’ of human rights work in Pakistan. She combines knowledge and expertise on policies and legislation with an understanding of issues women face through her hands-on management of a shelter, Panah, for over two decades; (she is Founding Trustee, Managing Trustee and General Secretary of Panah Trust, which runs the shelter). She was Co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (2017 - 2020) and served on the council for over a decade. She is a founder member of Women’s Action Forum Pakistan; and was a member of the National Commission on the Status of Women from (2012-2015, nominated from Sindh). She was an office bearer of Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFD), a member of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) and a founding member of People’s Resistance, a civil society group which was formed in 2007 for the restoration of the judiciary. Her special interest areas include: women’s political participation and violence against women. She has demonstrated the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders including policy-makers, politicians, the judiciary, rights activists, etc.

149 Waheed Noor

Waheed Noor is a lawyer by profession. Author of book “ Sukoot Bol Parha” ( Urdu poetry). A progressive writer, poet, human rights activist. Former member of managing committee Karachi Bar Association Coordinator Arts Council Literary Committee.

150 Wusatullah Khan

Wusat Ullah Khan ( Born in Rahim Yar Khan on 1st Jan 1962 ) has been a working journalist for the last forty three

years .As a Roaming Correspondent /Produce in BBC Urdu Service ( 1991-2015 ) he covered the 2003 Iraq war ( from Baghdad,Cairo,Amman and Istanbul).He was in Beirut during the 2006 Isreal- Hizbollah War.

He covered the 2004 & 2009 Lok Sabha elections while touring 13 states of India including J&K.Interviewed L K Advani , Dalai Lama , Khushwant Singh .Visited Shanti Naketan & Deoband for Radiomentary. Produced a series of Travelogue Documentaries for BBC Urdu TV.

Covered the 2005 earthquake in KPK & J & K. His reporting travelogue of the 2010 floods was  published as “Sailab Diaries” by the Pakistan Study Centre University of Karachi .

Wusat writes a weekly column ‘’ Baat say Baat’’ for BBC Urdu online.Contributes a Weekly Vlog for BBC Hindi & Weekly Column for Deutsche Welle ( Voice of Germany). He also Contributes bi-Weekly Columns for Daily Express Pakistan.He has been co-host of the Dawn News daily talk show,

“ Zara Hut Kay “ since Aug 2015.

Wusat conducts workshops and trainings on reporting skills /writing techniques/safety matters etc for professional journalists/broadcasters etc.

Wusat is a Graduate from Karachi University & a Diploma holder in Theatre Arts from National Academy of Performing Arts ( NAPA ).

151 Yasser Latif Hamdani

Yasser Latif Hamdani is a well-known human rights barrister writer based in Pakistan. His most notable and successful legal case was getting YouTube unbanned in Pakistan. He is the author

of Jinnah: Myth and Reality (2012) and Between Worlds, A Pakistani’s Quest to Forge Meaning (2016). He is a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London. Jinnah: A Life is his third book which has been published in Pakistan by Lightstone Publishers

152 Yassir Pasha

153 Zafar Masud

Zafar Masud is a seasoned banker, entrepreneur and public sector expert having around 30 years of proven track record of exceptional success stories in Banking, Development Finance, Energy and Corporate Governance. Mr. Masud is an MBA (‘93) with a specialization in Banking from the most prestigious Institute of Business Administration, the University of Karachi (IBA Karachi). Me. Zafar Masud also Co-authored a publication on pension reforms with the DfID/ FCDO consultants for KPK.  Featured, the only one outside Western Hemisphere, in 30 Transformative insights from Greatest Minds by best-seller author Scott Miller in his book "Master Mentors - Volume 2".

154 Zahida Raees Raji

Zahida Raees Raji is a scholar of Balochi language and literature, fiction writer, translator, researcher and book reviewer. She completed her M.Phil from the University of Balochistan, Quetta (2019-2020). Zahida is a Science Graduate from Karachi University. She is a Software Consultant and Programmer by profession. Zahida set up the first Balochi digital library in 2005.

155 Zainab Masud Zain

156 Zakia Sarwar

Prof. Zakia Sarwar is the Patron-in Chief of the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers(SPELT) & has worked in the field of education for the past five decades as a teacher , teacher educator, classroom researcher , materials developer- specially for Sindh Textbook Board. She has widely published & presented in conferences nationally & internationally . Her main fields of interest are learner empowerment, handling large classes, classroom research & developing low cost no cost materials for under resourced educational environments

157 Zarrar Khuhro

Zarrar Khuhro is a Pakistani journalist who has worked extensively in both the print and electronic media industry. He started his career with The News and went on to work at Geo, Express, Dawn newspaper and Dawn News TV. He currently hosts a ‘Zara Hut Kay’ a current affairs show on Dawn News.

158 Zehra Nigah

Zehra Nigah is an Urdu poet and scriptwriter. She was one of two female poets to gain prominence in the 1950s when the scene was dominated by men. She has written several television drama serials. She has also received various awards including Pride of Performance in recognition of her literary works in 2006. She wrote the screenplay of the television serial Umrao Jan Ada based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa's Umrao Jaan Ada.

159 Zehra Masroor

Zehra Masrur Ahmed was awarded 1st division in MA in Geography from the University of Panjab in I958 after which she taught at  Queen Mary's College for two years until her marriage. With the assistance of her two sisters, Kulsoom and Zainab, Zehra translated her mother, Mohammadi Begum's diary titled "A Long Way From Hyderabad: Diary of a Young Muslim Woman in 30s Britain".

160 Professor Doctor Zhanna Burunina (joining virtually from Ukraine/Italy)

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161 Zubeida Mustafa

Zubeida Mustafa is a freelance journalist who writes a fortnightly column for the most widely circulated English daily Dawn, for which she worked as an assistant editor from 1975 to 2008. She is the winner of “Global Media Award for Excellence” in 1986 and 2004 presented by the Population Institute, Washington, USA. She also received an award from the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association in December 2005 in recognition of her contribution to Books & Authors. Zubeida has received received Lifetime Achievement Awards from UKS (2013) and Ladies Fund (2015).  In May 2012, the International Women’s Media Foundation nominated her for its Lifetime Achievement Award for her excellence in the field of journalism.

162 Zuhra Lucie (joining virtually from Nairobi Kenya)

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