Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest Pakistan launches ‘ThinkFest on Campus’ in Gujranwala

Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest Pakistan has launched its flagship ThinkFest on Campus series at the University of Central Punjab (UCP), Gujranwala Campus. 

ThinkFest on Campus is a nationwide initiative that brings ThinkFest Pakistan’s signature intellectual programming to secondary and tertiary cities across the country.

The series aims to connect global scholars, academics, and public- and private-sector practitioners with wider audiences, expanding access to critical ideas and dialogue.

The Gujranwala edition opened with an engaging discussion on Punjab’s shared past. Tarunjit Singh Butalia reflected on his personal journey of tracing his Punjabi identity back to Pakistan, while Ishtiaq Ahmad of Stockholm University underscored the need for Pakistan to learn from historical missteps and to cultivate a more accurate understanding of its own history.

A dedicated climate panel, featuring Rafay Alam and Sara Hayat, addressed the intensifying global climate crisis. Both speakers highlighted the urgency of climate action and emphasized the central role of youth in driving sustainable change.

In another widely attended session, former federal minister Khurram Dastagir Khan engaged students in a candid conversation on Pakistan’s position within an evolving global order, especially in the context of recent regional tensions and the implications of the “four-day war” with India.

While talking at the occasion Khurram Dastagir said “Pakistan has long been described as standing at a crossroads, and the recent war with India has demonstrated its capabilities on both the military and diplomatic fronts. The country’s unexpected strength has become evident, enhancing its value in international diplomacy. It is important that we continue to build on this opportunity.”

On this occasion Dr. Yaqoob Khan Bangash, Founder of ThinkFest Pakistan, said: “ThinkFest Pakistan strongly believes in taking meaningful, thought-provoking discussions to smaller cities—places that rarely get access to such intellectual events."