LAHORE, August 20, 2026: The Pakistan Political Science Consortium's Office of Forums and Events, in collaboration with Adbi Baithak, hosted a Book Launch and Author Conversation with Muhammad Saeed Mehdi at Saleem Asghar Hall, centred on his memoir The Eyewitness: Standing in the Shadows of Pakistan's History. Mehdi, a former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former Chief Secretary of Sindh, spent decades at the highest levels of Pakistan's civil bureaucracy — a vantage point from which his memoir recounts some of the country's most turbulent political moments, from the fall of Dhaka through to the Kargil conflict. Since its publication earlier this year by Lightstone Publishers, the book has drawn attention as a rare insider's account, with commentators describing Mehdi as a "chosen witness" present at nearly every defining juncture of Pakistan's recent political history.The conversation at Saleem Asghar Hall gave the author a platform to reflect on the events he witnessed first-hand, the decisions he helped shape from inside government, and what his career reveals about Pakistan's long, unfinished search for stable and accountable governance.The event provided an opportunity to engage with the author and his account of Pakistan's political and historical journey. The Eyewitness offers a first-hand perspective on the country's history, reflecting on the people, events, and experiences that have shaped Pakistan's political landscape. The author conversation created a space for reflection on Pakistan's history and political development, while highlighting the value of first-hand accounts in understanding the country's evolving political and institutional experience.Through such intellectual and literary engagements, PakPSC seeks to encourage informed discussion and greater public engagement with Pakistan's political history and contemporary affairs.