October 17, 2025
Time:
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Auditorium A-11, Academic Block, LUMS
The Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature, LUMS, cordially invites you to an engaging conversation titled “Ye Hussain Naqi Kon Hain?”, celebrating the life, work, and legacy of veteran journalist and rights activist Hussain Naqi, on the launch of his autobiography ‘Mujh Say Jo Ho Saka’.
A fearless voice of dissent, Hussain Naqi stands among Pakistan’s most steadfast advocates for democracy and press freedom. His journey began in student politics, where he first learned to question authority and organise for justice and democratic rights, a commitment that shaped his lifelong struggle.
More than a biographical account, Mujh Say Jo Ho Saka unfolds as a history of journalism and democracy in Pakistan, tracing decades of political struggle, censorship, and resistance. Naqi’s reflections illuminate the evolution of the media and the moral and political challenges faced by those who dare to speak truth to power. His life remains a testament to conviction, resilience, and belief in journalism’s power to safeguard democracy.
The event will feature a thought-provoking conversation with Syed Muhammad Azeem and Harris Khalique, moderated by Sasha Sofia Javed.
About the panelists:
Syed Muhammad Azeem is an Associate Professor at the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law, LUMS. He is a legal scholar specialising in Pakistani judicial and constitutional history, labor-based socio-legal research, and international law from a Third World perspective. He is the author of The Law, State, and Inequality in Pakistan: Explaining the Rise of the Judiciary (Springer, 2017) and an active member of the Progressive Writers Association.
Harris Khalique is an acclaimed trilingual poet and essayist writing in Urdu, English, and Punjabi. He is the author of eight poetry collections, including Ishq ki Taqveem Mein, Between You and Your Love, and the award-winning Melay Mein, as well as Crimson Papers: Reflections on Struggle, Suffering, and Creativity (OUP, 2017). His work engages deeply with questions of art, politics, and social justice.
About the Moderator:
Sasha Sofia Javed is a journalist, researcher, and activist focusing on human rights, labor, and gender justice in South Asia. Her writings have appeared in Arab News, The News International, and The Friday Times. Identifying as a “labor and people’s journalist,” she works at the intersections of scholarship, activism, and resistance, amplifying marginalised voices through her storytelling.
