he number of festivals being held in the urban centres of the country is significant; arguably there are too many. These have grown in both number and scope. Recently, one of the largest festivals of theatre, music and dance was held in Karachi, followed by an almost week-long Urdu Conference. Furthermore, a festival showcasing the crafts of Sindh was also held recently.

In the Punjab, a theatre and art festival is scheduled to take place in Faisalabad. Lahore has already hosted a series of events, including the Hazara Festival, the Punjabi Festival, and, not so recently, Ajoka’s 40th-anniversary celebration at the Alhamra, featuring theatre and dance performances.

The Hazara Festival was particularly striking, as it highlighted the resilience of a community often under siege and targeted by violence. The festival, centred around their crafts and musical expression, was a significant reminder that diversity is an integral part of Pakistan’s identity – something to be valued and cherished.

Similarly, festivals of music and dance focusing on the Gilgit-Baltistan region highlight the unique cultural expressions that stand distinct from the imagined mainstream narrative. Furthermore, the numerous exhibitions held across the country, including biennales, along with the thriving art market – particularly in Karachi – reflect a level of patronage and promotion of visual arts that rivals those in mid-level economies worldwide.

This is in addition to the traditional mela and urs events held across the country, featuring music, dance and theatre in traditional forms. The sheer number of such events, both large and small, remains uncounted and undocumented, making it difficult to grasp their full scale.

At the same time, acts of terrorism have grown exponentially and the number of casualties risen dramatically. Many now consider this to be one of the darkest phases in history, where violence is glorified in the name of a so-called righteous cause. Adding to the turmoil is the relentless pressure on the government from opposition parties, expressed through statements, protests, and rallies – events that, too, often claim lives.

Correspondingly, these upheavals and the persistent lack of normalcy have become a constant feature of our lives. This is often framed as democracy being expressed and exercised through the right to protest – an alternative but accepted form of action. However, this dissent also raises questions about the efficacy of the democratic process, particularly when formal institutions consistently fail to deliver.

Many in the country and abroad have questioned the turn towards violence, attributing it to the absence of creative or cultural activity. It has become a recurring narrative that cultural expression serves as an antidote to violence and extremism, often characterised as uncivilised behaviour. The absence of formal creative outlets is frequently cited as a cause of this non-civilised expression, with the lack of structured cultural engagement seen as contributing to the rise of violence and extremism.

This either/ or binary does not sufficiently explain the ways in which mindsets have been conditioned over decades or even across the course of our long history. The two – violence and cultural expression – seem to exist side by side, sometimes intersecting but ultimately following their individual trajectories.

It is true that extremism has grown over decades, with its natural expression often manifesting as violence. However, arts and cultural activities are also shaped by these same forces, reflecting rather than countering the prevailing modes of thought. Far from being an antidote to violence, art has at times served to glorify it – celebrating blood and gore when framed as part of a righteous cause.

It is overly simplistic to argue that education, art and culture alone can eliminate violence. Around the world, even in the most ‘civilised’ societies, violence is not only prevalent but also justified – at home and more frequently, in foreign interventions. Such acts are often carried out in the name of enforcing ideals and promoting a particular way of life, revealing a deeper and more complex relationship between civilisation, culture and violence.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore