In 2007, CAP launched its operations with the Shanaakht Festival, a pioneering cultural event that was born out of a desire to create a public space for the facilitation of cultural activities for all Pakistanis. The festival featured film and documentary screenings, art and photography exhibitions, theatrical performances, fusion-music concerts, interactive art activities, and story-telling sessions that expressed the nation’s history, identity, and spirit.

Thousands of visitors were able to explore their collective identity as Pakistanis and engage in a discourse about the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent. Oral histories in our archive were made accessible to the public in an interactive display called ‘Meri Kahani Meri Zabani,’ – featuring the stories of ordinary Pakistanis who witnessed the birth of the country.

Shanaakht presents the strength and spirit of the country with perspectives on how our identity has evolved over the decades since independence. Throughout the two festivals held in 2007 (Arts Council, Karachi), and 2009 (Imperial Gardens, Karachi), over 12,000 members of the public attended the events.