The word Pehchaan in Urdu translates directly to "identity." But those who speak both languages fluently know that Urdu has a unique way of making words feel like more than just letters stitched together. Pehchaan in Urdu is how you feel when you look deep within yourself. When spoken, the word transports you to your innermost self—the color of your aura, the route your dada dadi took when crossing over to the land of the pure. It’s the vibrant color of the rafaan jelly custard your mother lovingly added to the fruit trifle on Eid. It’s the fizz of the bright green Pakola at a family function, the sweetness of meetha paan filling your mouth as you mimicked your great-aunt.

Your pehchaan is everything you are and everything you have been, neatly stacked together, like the sewing material tucked away in your mother’s favorite biscuit tin.

The Ivy Future of Pakistan Conference is here to celebrate your pehchaan. For far too long, we’ve gone without fully embracing the richness of our identities. Pakistanis are constantly forced to fit into molds—expected to be the "right kind" of immigrant, Muslim, professional, or creative.

Today, we invite you to shed these imposed ideologies and truly celebrate your pehchaan—all that you are, all that you will be, and all that you aspire to become.