Security Concerns: First day of LLF already cancelled

“All sessions scheduled on the first day of the Lahore Literature Festival (LLF) have been cancelled,” the festival’s organisers officially announced earlier today.

“The festival will now only be held on two days instead of three owing to security concerns, a source close to the development said.

The festival’s Facebook page announced, “LLF2016 will start on Saturday, February 20, and conclude on Sunday, February 21.”

“Originally, this year’s festival was scheduled to commence on Friday, February 19. The change has been made on the advice of the Punjab government,” it added.

“The programme, which is being revised accordingly, and the venue shall be notified soon,” the post further read.

Twenty-four sessions were scheduled for the first day of the three-day long LLF. “All speakers and guests have been informed about the cancellation of their scheduled sessions on Friday,” the source added.

“Schedule of the remaining two days, Saturday and Sunday, will be changed as speakers scheduled to host sessions on first day are insisting that their talks be included as they had prepared,” the source claimed.

A speaker scheduled to speak on the first day said,on the condition of anonymity that he was informed via phone call this morning that his session had been cancelled. “I have requested the organisers to include my talk on either of the two days,” he added.

Earlier, Imran Maqbool of the DCO’s Office said that the certificate for the festival had indeed been cancelled. He asserted that the event would not take place. “It is intimated that due to heightened security threats the NOC issued by this office vide letter No. AO(C)/BA/1044 dated 21.01.2016 is hereby withdrawn forthwith in the larger public interest,” a letter dated January 30, 2016 reads.

Publicist Nusrat Jamil, who is associated with the LLF in an advisory position, said that the festival’s organisers were yet to be intimated in this regard. “We obtained the NoC three months ago,” she said.  LLF CEO Razi Ahmed said the event would go-ahead as planned. Alhamra on The Mall PRO Subha Sadiq the venue’s administration had not been informed of LLF’s cancellation. The official said that the premises remained reserved for the event.

A source from the Chief Minister’s Office said,  on the condition of anonymity that the event would ultimately commence just as it had last year amid rumours regarding its cancellation. He said district authorities tended to get jittery whenever a major event of the festival’s ilk was to be executed.  The official said all reservations would be ultimately addressed and the festival would kick-off as scheduled.

The three-day event, slated to commence on Friday, boasts an exhaustive list of academics, journalists, writers, artists and politicians scheduled to speak on a myriad of topics. Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore will deliver the keynote address. Other prominent figures including writer Mohsin Hamid, author Kamila Shamsie, writer Tehmina Durrani, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman and academic CM Naim will also speak at the festival.