LAHORE: The three-day Pakistan Literature Festival (PLF) is starting at the Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall, from Friday (today).

After the Lahore edition, it will travel to Gwadar, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, Peshawar, Islamabad and Karachi, later to the USA where the festival will be held in four cities, Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi President Ahmed Shah made this announcement in a well attended press conference at Alhamra on Thursday.

The press conference was also addressed by caretaker Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Amir Mir, Anwar Maqsood, Lahore Arts Council Director Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi.

Mr Shah said the situation the country was confronted with could only be improved through culture. `No other weapon is as pow-erful as culture.

He said the festival was being held in consultation with Anwar Maqsood. He added that PLF was launched from Lahore because the city was a hub of art and culture and the people used to come here from Delhi and Chandigarh to get education. Mr Shah also shared the details of the festival with the media persons.

Mr Mir termed Anwar Maqsood a legend and that the moving spirit behind the festival was Ahmed Shah.

Anwar Maqsood said though the situation of the country at this time was dismal; however, one should not lose hope.

He said Urdu existed due to Lahore.

Lauding Mr Shah, he said Ahmed Shah had putin alot ofeffortin holdingthisfestival and he had a great love for literature.

Zulfiqar Zulfi said the Lahore Arts Council welcomed the organisers of the PLF and would extend full support to Ahmed Shah inmaking the festival a success.

The opening session today will have Iftikhar Arif, Fateh Muhammad Malik, Khursheed Rizvi, Nayyar Ali Dada, Nasira Iqbal, Salima Hashmi, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, Kishwar Nahid, Peerzada Qasim, Attaul Haq Qasmi, Amjad Islam Amjad, Hamid Mir, Kamran Lashari and Razi Ahmed. The session will have Anwar Maqsood and Fakir Aijazuddin as keynote speakers.

It will be followed by a session, Cultural Challenges in the 21st century: Ideology of Iqbal and Pakistan. Its panelists would include Nasira Iqbal, Tehsin Firaqi, Syed Nomanul Haq. Another third session will have a comedian and actor Sohail Ahmed, titled Sohail Ahmed Azizi Ki Batein Ahmed Shah Kay Sath. The opening day will end with a mega concert in the evening, featuring Ali Azmat, Saeen Zahoor and Sounds of Kolachi. Entry to the sessions and the concert is free.