Theme: What If?

The theme “What If?” centres around the idea of reimagining the world - with all its customs and norms - around us and exploring the possibilities that exist beyond our ordinary experiences and limitations. The aim is to instil in the audience a sense of childlike wonder and catalyse new perspectives; ones that help them envision and create a community that lives up to it’s true potential.

Habib University
University Avenue, Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 18
Karachi, Sindh, 75290
Pakistan

Bindiya Rana

Bindiya Rana is a Pakistani transgender activist, and both a member and primary representative of the Khwaja Sira community in the country. Rana is the founder and president of the Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), which has aided its trans members in availing of ID cards. Her resilient advocacy for the security of trans persons has led to a gradual build-up of confidence amongst the transgender community of Pakistan, who previously felt discriminated amidst the majority population.

Muhammad Moiz

Dr. Muhammad Moiz is a women’s rights activist, a policy maker and a comedian. He came out with a viral Snapchat character, Shumaila Bhatti, a few years ago who explores the challenges women face living in the Pakistani hierarchical male dominant society. Living in a multi-layered society - one that consists of masculinity, traditionalism, religion, privacy etc. - he believes his biggest challenge has been reconciling his work with the culture of Pakistan.

Mushtaq Chhapra

With the massive underfunding of the healthcare and education sectors in the country resulting in the loss of quality life for the majority of the populace - there has been a dire need for philanthropic initiatives to bridge the gap. Mr. Mushtaq Chhapra has done exactly that by cofounding three of Pakistan's most successful welfare initiatives: The Kidney Center, Patients' Aid Foundation, and The Citizen's Foundation. Over nearly the last 35 years, his work, through these organizations, has been pivotal in meeting the unmet needs of the poverty stricken societal factions. Due to his tireless efforts towards the provision of health and education for all, he has been awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

Nighat Tahir

Nighat Tahir is an entrepreneur with speech and hearing impairments. She is the owner of a well-established beauty salon, called ‘Ashna Beauty Parlor’ which is named after her eldest daughter. She endeavors to help differently abled women, so as to provide them a platform where they can explore their talents. In a society where difference is mostly stigmatized, Nighat has provided these women with a lot of hope. However, the question is: “What if Nighat had succumbed to societal pressures that adversely affect differently abled people?”

Razia Bano

Razia Bano is the first National Women Boxing Champion of Pakistan and an international athlete. She was the first female boxer to represent the country internationally. She believes in the need and importance of changing the society’s perception of women. She also aims to challenge gender stereotyping by making our society and the world realize how capable, competent and extraordinary women are, and can be.

Sana Farooq

Sana Farooq is the founder and CEO of ELN The e-Learning Network, which provides online accredited teacher training and Educational Management courses for beginners to fully qualified teachers. They help all teachers who lack convenient, internationally recognised training in Pakistan for their own growth and development. It is globally recognised and locally priced. Sana is also a Global Ambassador for Blackbox Connect and a mentor for Cherie Blair Programme for Women.

Shehzad Ghias Shaikh

Shehzad Ghias Shaikh is a comedian, writer and theatre practitioner. In 2010, Shehzad established Cogito Productions - a theatre production company committed to producing original plays promoting thought and social change in Pakistan. After completing his B.A./L.L.B. from LUMS, Shehzad received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a M.A. in Theatre from Brooklyn College, New York. While in New York Shehzad received a scholarship to study comedy at UCB. Last year Shehzad debuted his stand up special at the Broadway Comedy Club in New York and he is currently touring Pakistan with his latest special, "Clinically Funny" - a stand up show about his experiences with clinical depression. Shehzad frequently writes for Express Tribune and Dawn. He also works as a theatre teacher at The Lyceum School and the National Academy of Performing Arts.

Sohail Zindani

Sohail Zindani, Founder and Director of Learning Minds Group and President of The Learning Foundation, is leading a movement to transform the way we develop people. He believes in the uniqueness of human potential and advocates it with his unmatched enthusiasm and pragmatic approach.

Usman Riaz

A senior TED speaker and a man of many talents, Usman Riaz hopes to help inspire a new generation of artists and animators through his own love for art, movies and animation. Realizing the unfamiliarity with which anima- tion was perceived in Pakistan, and in order to promote it and give local artists a platform and a voice, he founded Mano - Pakistan's first ever hand-drawn animation studio. Currently, he and his team are working on producing Pakistan's first ever hand-drawn animated lm 'Glassworker'.

Yusra Amjad

Yusra Amjad is a poet, writer, stand-up comedian and is an active advocate for the rights of women and marginalized communities. She uses both the written word and performing arts to tackle challenges that have arisen within our society regarding gender equality. She founded the Lahore Chapter of the Auratnaak troupe and was one of many women behind the Lahore Aurat March initiative that aims to not only reclaim public spaces for women and other marginalized communities, but also give them a much needed voice.