Fight Inequality Festival in Lahore Calls for a New Economy That Puts People Before Profit

Crofter Foundation celebrated “the Fight Inequality Festival,” in collaboration with Fight Inequality Alliance Pakistan, which took place on 04 July 2026 at the HRCP Auditorium, Lahore, with artists, academics, farmers' leaders, trade unionists, students and civil society activists coming together to combat the rising crisis of inequality and argue against the traditional economic system and for alternatives that are people-centric.

The festival became a lively public space, where culture, ideas and people's movement converged to counter the challenge of the prevalent narrative of “inequality is inevitable”. Participants reiterated that inequality is caused by political and economic decisions and can be overcome by collective action and policies that focus on people and planet, rather than profit.

Speakers all evening discussed the nexus of today's issues of rising public debt, austerity, privatization of public facilities, corporate control over agriculture and the rising cost of living, which continue to exacerbate inequality in Pakistan. They called for a shift in the economic model, which focuses on enriching a privileged minority at the expense of many millions of people who are forced to survive on meagre wages, below-average incomes, or the sale of their labor.

Sharing the scene with the powerful poetry of Dr. Khalid Javed Jan, Baba Najmi and Irfan Comrade, they were able to share the aspirations and struggles of workers, peasants, women and the marginalised. Their poems brought the words of the people to remind the audience of the power of art to stand up for resistance against oppression and injustice.

An overpowering response was received from the audience on the special theatrical presentation of the play "Marya Hoya Kutta" of Ajoka Theatre. The play was a satire and a strong story which highlighted the paradoxes of power, inequality and social exclusion and reinforced the need for collective resistance.

The panel discussion featured prominent speakers in the realm of economic justice and examined viable options for an alternative economic system.

On debt justice, a member of the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM) Khaliq Shah, pointed out that the debt burden in Pakistan is on the rise and has become one of the major hurdles to development, resulting in the constant imposition of austerity measures which have negatively impacted investments in health, education, and social protection.

If we are to ensure quality public services and the rights of future generations, a country can't be trapped in debt and can't invest in its people, he said.

Dr. Fahad Ali said that it is important to consider measures other than the current economic policies, as economic growth will only exacerbate social inequalities if it is not accompanied by justice.

The true test of an economy is not its pockets of wealth, but whether everyone is able to live with dignity, he said, noting the need for a people-centered economy that ensures a living wage, universal public services, and fair taxation.

On agriculture and food sovereignty, Farooq Tariq, Executive Member of Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, cautioned against corporatization of farming and demanded measures to support the small farmers and rural communities.

“Small farmers, sustainable agriculture and democratic control of land and food systems is the way to Pakistan's future; corporate farming is a threat to both livelihoods and food sovereignty”, he concluded.

National Coordinator of Fight Inequality Alliance Pakistan, Haris Ahmad Khan, stressed that the problems faced in Pakistan are not distinct from the global systems that are focused on the accumulation of wealth and power.

The Fight Inequality Festival shows that people are not just challenging injustice; they are working to build alternatives: alternatives to debt cancellation; alternatives to tax injustice; alternatives to living wages; alternatives to free public healthcare; alternatives to good education; and alternatives to sustainable farming—alternatives to an economy that serves the privileged few instead of the 99 percent.

Participants also spoke about the alternatives in the real lives of people to the cost-of-living crisis, such as progressive taxation, universal social protection, investments in public education and healthcare, canceling out debts for developing countries, protection of workers’ rights, and support for agroecological farming rather than corporate-driven agriculture.

The festival ended with renewed determination among the organizations, artists, and activists involved to do more to build collaboration between social movements, and to continue developing a broader movement that can help to change the systems that cause inequality.

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