Punjab theatres under threat from miscreants

Around 70 theatres across Punjab have recently come under attack from criminals and miscreants, says an open letter written by the Punjab Artists and Producers Association. The organisation has complained of a lack of security and protection for artists and requested the federal and provincial authorities to intervene in this regard.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chairman Punjab Artists and Producers Association, Qaiser Sana Ullah Khan described the current situation as one that requires an urgent response.

"In my letter, I have briefed the PM about the difficult situation theatres have been facing off late. It has become very challenging for us to resume theatre activities under such an environment,” Khan told The Express Tribune. “It is a tragedy that local police are not taking any action and our performers are just like sitting ducks for these armed criminals.”

Adding on, Khan asserted that the theatre community would have to resort to protests if the situation wasn’t improved. “We are taxpayers and the industry generates a lot of revenue annually for the entire country. It is the duty of the state to provide us security. We artists are ready to block roads and demand for security if necessary action is not taken,” Khan stressed.

According to the letter, Last week theatre actor Hira Noor was allegedly raped and tortured in Sahiwal. Then there were two separate incidents of firing at theatre establishments in Faisalabad and Multan where Lollywood veteran Meera was performing.

The Punjab police have already taken four suspects into custody in connection with the incident at Faisalabad. According to the police, the suspects were involved in various robberies and extortion, and they opened fire to damage the reputation of the theatre in question. The arrested suspects have been shifted to jail while further investigations are underway.

In view of these incidents, renowned theatre producer Qaiser Javed expressed great concern, particularly about the safety and security of female actors. “These poor girls have nowhere else to earn a living from other than theatre. The situation is beyond tragic,” he said.

Javed alleged that the criminals involved in such incidents included workers of various political parties without naming any. “It’s alarming that workers of political parties are among these criminals. We request the government to start a crackdown against this group of crooks,” he shared.

 A female theatre dancer who sought anonymity lamented the entire scenario, deeming the current situation more dangerous than the coronavirus. “We already suffered during the pandemic as theatres were shut down for an indefinite period. Now that they are finally reopening, we are facing a bigger threat than the virus in the form of these criminals. Anyone can rape us at any time. It is a serious matter which the PM and Chief Minister should look into,” she said.

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