Inaugurating the ILF, Arshad Saeed Hussain, Managing Director (MD) Oxford University Press said, "The Islamabad Literature Festival was launched in 2013. Like the Karachi Literature Festival, which pioneered the trend of literature festivals across the country, this Festival began as an act of defiance against the forces of bigotry, violence and repression, which were then threatening to overwhelm literary and cultural expression."
There will also be sessions on the economy covering the current economic challenges and the impact of current taxation regime on the common man, on Pakistan's foreign relations and geopolitical positioning; on the educational issues of today and the emerging classrooms of tomorrow. There will be screenings of documentary films and sessions featuring the fine arts, theatre, music and satire. And, of course, there will be sessions about novels, short stories, poetry, book launches, book discussions, Mushairas in Urdu and English and regional literature in Potohari and Punjabi."
Dr Marc Barety, Ambassador of France to Pakistan and Mark Crossey, Deputy Director, British Council, Pakistan, also delivered speeches on the occasion. They applauded the Islamabad Literature Festival and appreciated the manner in which it has succeeded in emphasizing Pakistani literature and culture. They felt the contribution of the ILF in building Pakistan's soft image was invaluable.