Serena Hotels marks five years of Mehfil-e-Sukhan
Islamabad: Serena Hotels hosted the fifth edition of Mehfil-e-Sukhan on Saturday evening at Islamabad Serena Hotel, bringing together some of Pakistan’s most distinguished poets for an annual mushaira celebrating the country’s rich literary heritage and the enduring appeal of Urdu poetry.
Held under Serena’s Cultural Diplomacy Initiative, the event highlighted the tradition of mushaira as a platform for literary expression, cultural exchange and dialogue across generations, regions and communities.
Presided over by Abbas Naqvi and Shakeel Jazaib, the gathering featured prominent poets, including Kishwar Naheed, Iftikhar Arif, Anwar Shaoor, Abbas Tabish, Izhar ul Haq, Hamid Ateeq Sarwar, Haris Khaleeq, Ahmed Salman, Wasi Shah, Adnan Baig, Shakeel Jazib, Ashfaq Nasir, Saima Aftab, Rehman Faris, Zarnigar Abbas and Saba Uddin Hunzai.
Their recitations brought together classical and contemporary poetic traditions, demonstrating Urdu poetry’s versatility and its continuing relevance to modern audiences.
“Poetry has always been a meeting place. For five years, Mehfil-e-Sukhan has opened Serena’s doors to the poets who give voice to Pakistan, and to audiences from Pakistan and beyond who come to listen. At its heart, cultural diplomacy is simply that: an invitation to sit together and share in something enduring,” said Aziz Boolani, Global CEO of Serena Hotels.
Launched in 2022, Mehfil-e-Sukhan has established itself as a regular feature of Islamabad’s cultural calendar, providing a platform for celebrated poets to engage with audiences through the traditional art of mushaira. Its fifth edition reaffirmed Serena Hotels’ commitment to preserving Urdu’s literary heritage and promoting Pakistan’s diverse cultural traditions.
The initiative is part of Serena Hotels’ broader support for literature and the arts across Pakistan, including the Lahore Literary Festival and the Quetta Literary Festival, which bring together writers, poets, intellectuals and thinkers to exchange ideas and engage with wider audiences.
Through its Cultural Diplomacy Initiative, Serena Hotels provides a platform for Pakistan’s artists, writers and intellectuals to share their work with audiences at home and abroad. The initiative reflects the belief that cultural engagement can foster mutual understanding and strengthen connections among communities, while ensuring that Pakistan’s rich and diverse cultural heritage continues to be celebrated and preserved.