The maiden edition of the Karachi Mystic Festival drew to a close on Sunday at the Beach Luxury Hotel. the words by renowned Pakistani barrister and author of Indus Sagar ended the evening on a high note.
Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan’s book Sindh Sagar, also known as the Indus Saga and The Making of Pakistan, draws inspiration from numerous literary sources aiming to establish the disconnect of the Indus from India. The book showcases the political history and culture of the Indus region, ranging from the historical times to the present.
Ahsan, who has served as both the interior minister of Pakistan and minister for law, justice and human rights and also a well known polititian, lamented how for the duration of Zia’s era, several history books had been altered to present history as per their own needs and wants at that time.
He used the example of a course book, titled The Islamic History of Pakistan, which was published for schools during Zia ul Haq’s regime to further validate his point.
“Barring a few chapters towards the end of the book, which talked about Muhammad Bin Qasim’s conquest of Sindh, most of the chapters in the book were focused on Saudi Arabia,” Ahsan told the crowd at the Karachi Mystic Festival.
He also noted that The Islamic History of Pakistan had no mention of Indus Valley Civilisation, which apart from being one of the oldest civilisations in the world was also one of the most technologically advanced.
The discussion on Sindh Sagar also featured Member of National Assembly (MNA) Hakim Baloch, notable Urdu columnist and writer Farrukh Goindi and talk show host Mujahid Barelvi alongside Ahsan on stage.
The festival, which was organised by the Rumi Love Foundation, aimed to exhibit music, art and literature for people who wanted greater understanding of Sufism. The theme for the event was of Ishq-e-La Mehdood which translates into infinite love.
The Rumi Love Foundation, founded in 2012, is known for its efforts to broaden both spiritual and intellectual knowledge through various events such as lectures, musical events and seminars.
