Month-long Pakistan Theatre Festival kicks off
Artistes perform in the inaugural play “Patriot and Abdullah” of the Pakistan Theater Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan on Friday. photo: Jalal Qureshi/express
Pakistan Theatre Festival 2023 kicked off at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi on Friday. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh ur Rahman, intellectual Anwar Maqsood, Caretaker Culture Minister Syed Junaid Ali Shah, theatre directors, Usman Peerzada, Nabeel Qureshi, Hiba Bukhari, Tipu and a large number of theatre fans attended the opening ceremony. The festival was inaugurated by well-known director and actor Salman Shahid’s Theatre Patriot & Abdullah.
Audience appreciated the performance of theatre group of Lahore. Renowned intellectual Anwar Maqsood was presented with a shield by ACP President Muhammad Ahmad Shah.
Speaking on the occasion Sindh governor said, there is no doubt that Ahmed Shah will not leave the Arts Council. He has highlighted this culture and civilization not only in Pakistan but outside the country as well.
Expressing his views, Punjab governor said, a large number of people from different countries are here. Ahmed Shah’s efforts of organising Pakistan Literature Festival in different cities of Pakistan and the Aalmi Urdu Conference in different countries are highly commendable, he said, adding, such events bring people from different cultures together.
In his speech, ACP president said, “We have revived the first music festival, first theatre festival, and the fine arts. We are proud of our country, we have smile on our faces, we will move forward, and will come back to the world as a great nation. Pakistan Theatre Festival spans a month in which different plays will be presented on a daily basis while two plays will be presented on weekends. International theatre groups have also started coming to participate in the festival. On September 9, the American theatre group ‘Uplift’ will perform their play ‘Through The Waves’ while on September 10, the Sri Lankan dance group will present the dance ‘Kanya’.”
Ahmed Shah also announced that ACP members can get free theatre tickets from 12 noon to 8pm.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2023.