'No Time To Sleep' to depict last day of death penalty inmate

Acclaimed actor Sarmad Khoosat will play Prisoner Z, who will patiently wait for his death

KARACHI: In a first, a play titled No Time To Sleep will be a ground-breaking 24-hour long performance that will be streamed live around the world.

The play charts the final days of Prisoner Z, played by acclaimed actor Sarmad Khoosat. No Time To Sleep promises to be an intense, unedited media scrutiny for 24 hours. There will be no breaks. The camera will never look away, stated a press release.

Set inside a replica of an actual death cell, Prisoner Z’s journey will begin on 26 September, 2018 at 12:00 PM (PST), when his mercy petition is rejected.

https://twitter.com/KhoosatSarmad/status/1042022847760224257

A social media prologue will depict rolling coverage of the execution warrant and the wheels that are set in motion to carry out his execution. Petitions are filed in court, the media is alerted, the family is notified and scrambles to make the harrowing trip to visit him for the last time.

Zulfiqar spent 17 years on death row. In that time, his execution was scheduled and stayed more than 20 times. During his incarceration, prisoner Z educated hundreds of prisoners, securing 33 diplomas himself.

The live stream will commence with Z sitting in his cell in solitary confinement, occasionally being silent, occasionally conversing with the guard who is watching him. But mostly, he will wait. This piece is primarily about the tyranny of time that is both long and short – running slow and running out – while the ropes are tested.

This performance will accurately portray what happens to prisoners prior to execution, based on accounts of guards, former prisoners and their families.

No Time to Sleep will begin streaming live at exactly 12:00 am, October 10, 2018. The concept of the play is given by Ryan van Winkle, whereas it will be directed by Kanwal Khoosat and is produced by Iram Sana.

Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) is a human rights organisation that provides pro bono legal representation to the most vulnerable Pakistani prisoners facing the harshest punishments. JPP was established in December 2009 and is based in Lahore, Pakistan.

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