LAHORE:
Usman, Saadan and Tehmina Peerzada of the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop, one of the organisers of the 13th International Mystic Music Festival slated to commence today (Saturday) assailed the government on Friday for retracting the event’s NOC.
Usman said the government had withdrawn the NOC a few hours after issuing it in the morning. He said the government had refused to guarantee security for the festival. Usman said the government should facilitate them rather than creating problems for them.
He said the event would go ahead as planned with or without the NOC. Usman urged Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to exempt artistes from the NOC requirement. He said the government should allow them to organise and execute events without having to obtain the certificate.
Saadan vowed to fight the regulation following the conclusion of the festival. He said he would take up the cause on behalf of all artistes. Concurring, Usman called the regulation a vestige of autocracy. They said there was no reason to secure the certificate as the Arts Council had been taken onboard regarding the festival. The event is being jointly organised by the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
The event will start today (Saturday) at 7pm and has performances lined up by artistes from various countries including Pakistan, Iran and Syria.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2014.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
I fully support the demand made by the Peerzadas. Being a music curator / founder of the Tehzeeb Festival in Karachi, I feel the NOC is just an official hindrance and nothing more than that. Now that our nation is moving forward towards a cultural 'glasnost', the official authorities should instead offer fool-proof security to the forums working for such cultural activity.
Further, the NOCs issued under the rules cannot be withdrawn arbitrarily without notice and without reason. In view of above, NOCs merit to be restored at the earliest.