‘Pakistan ka beta’ sheds light on Indian machinations in Kashmir

Stage play kicks off week-long activities on Kashmir SolidairtyDay

ISLAMABAD: With residents of the disputed Himalayan territory of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) under an unrelenting curfew from Indian forces for 150 days, artists from the disputed valley staged a play on Monday to expose the clandestine and surreptitious methods of New Delhi’s main spy wing.

Tilted ‘Pakistan ka beta’, a play was stated at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Monday evening. They play kicked-off a week of events to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day.

The play is written by Ishtiaq Aatish. Curiously, the play is not a new one, having been penned decades ago and had its first dramatic stage representation in 1988 at the Liaquat Memorial Hall in the adjoining city of Rawalpindi.

Even though the play is three decades old, it is just as, if not more, relevant today with the people of Kashmir struggling against their Indian oppressors in only the latest in a series of oppressive tactics adopted by New Delhi.

The artists from Kashmir exposed the clandestine activities of the Indian spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and highlighted their activities in Kashmir and different areas of Pakistan, where they try to take advantage of the frustrated youth and use them to slowly chip away at the social fabric of the country.

The play also highlighted how they infiltrate and create differences amongst different communities and mobilise them to fight with each other to achieve this purpose.

Despite India’s attempts, the play conveyed that due to unity and patriotism, the people never let India’s plans succeed and that they always remain loyal to their country.

The play ended with a question to the international community as to why they have not played their role in solving the long outstanding dispute in accordance with the UN Charter and resolutions of the security council.

The other event of the evening was ‘Sada-e-Kashmir’, a skit on the Kashmiri struggle by Syed Ali Asghar Masoom.

After the play, a cultural show reflecting Kashmiri culture, folk music and dance was opened at the PNCA.

Kashmiri singer Abdul Basit, Mubashra Hafiz, Adnan Raza, Imran Khan, Bano Rehmat, Bushra Sadiq sang national songs such as ‘Sohnya Kashmir Marya Sohnya Kashmir’, ‘Mane Di Moj Wich Hasna’ ‘Mere Watan Teri Jannat Mein’, ‘Dekh Tu Yeh Wadi-e-Kashmir Hai’, ‘Her Zuban Pe Nara-e-Takbeer Hai’, ‘Laho Mangti Hai Channaron Ki Darti’. Instrumentalists also presented the Kashmiri folk music. Kashmiri dance ‘Mahi Kashmir Dea’ was presented by the NPAG Group.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2020.