The event is being held under the auspices of Information Technology University (ITU) the Punjab's Centre for Governance and Policy, which will include talks, speeches and discussions by international fame scholars, thinkers and opinion makers converging from around the globe world's leading universities. On both days the event is open and free to the public. The event will continue till January 13.
Aleem Khan Senior Minister Local Government Punjab, former Foreign Ministers Hina Rabbani Khar, Khurshid Kasuri, ex-Senator Afrasiab Khattak and Salman Akram Raja lawyer will chair different sessions on opening day. Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary and Punjab's Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht will address the concluding sessions on Sunday.
The proceedings of the first day will start with a plenary talk by Dr Christophe Jaffrelot from Paris who will speak on 'Forms of Authoritarianism'.
On day one the other panels will include a talk on self-determination in Kashmir by Professor Dibyesh Anand from the UK and a talk on 'Lahore, 1929: the Centre of the Freedom Movement,' by Dr Kama Maclean from Australia and Dr Chris Moffat from the UK. Local topics will be covered by a session on changes in the Punjab, from Kartarpur to South Punjab, local government issues led by MPA Jugnu Mohsin, and a panel on cinema and popular culture led by Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed from Sweden.
Foreign affairs will strongly feature with talks on US-Pakistan relations with former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar and Ejaz Haider, and a panel on Pakistan and India relations with former Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, Dr Happymon Jacob from India and journalist Mehr Tarar. Sir Tim Hitchens, a recently retired UK Diplomat, will further weigh in on Brexit and the future of the UK in the world.
The second day of the ThinkFest will start with a riveting discussion on the Manto film controversy by acclaimed scholar Ayesha Jalal in conversation with Raza Rumi.
Professor Cemil Aydin will launch his book, 'The idea of the Muslim World' in conversation with Dr Tahir Kamran from GCU. Also launching her book on the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be Dr Nadhra Khan from LUMS with renowned Punjab scholar Jean-Marie Lafont from France.