Question hour: MPAs slam ‘vulgar’ theatre industry

Punjabi magazine produced by Culture Dept not even in PA library.

LAHORE: Members criticised the popular theatre industry as a negative influence on young Pakistanis as the minister for culture fielded questions in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday.

Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar of the PML-Nawaz asked about what the Culture Department had done to promote culture in Multan. He dismissed the response supplied by the minister as “lip-service” without substance. “They have done nothing in Multan except push music and theatre,” he said.

He said that popular theatre, through its dancing girls on stage and in drama posters, was corrupting young people. “We’ve gone away from culture towards vulgarity,” Dogar said, adding that the government should not allow any more theatres that put on such plays.

Tanveerul Islam, minister for culture, sports and youth affairs, said that the arts councils of the province had been arranging monthly Seeratun Nabi conferences since he became minister.

Chaudhry Tahir Muhammad Hundli of the PPP asked about the censorship process for theatres and what the minister had done to punish theatres or productions of plays that had objectionable content.

Islam said that the scripts were vetted by a scrutiny committee that consisted of intellectuals, writers and people with theatre experience. He said it was up to the Home Department, not the Culture Department, to take action against theatres or production companies.

Syed Hassan Murtaza of the PPP took exception to the minister’s claim that the scrutiny committee included writers and intellectuals, suggesting that no intellectual would sanction the scripts used in popular theatre. He demanded the names of the members of the scrutiny committee.

The minister named several renowned writers including Amjad Islam Amjad.

Murtaza refused to believe him. “I challenge you to prove that Amjad Islam Amjad vetted scripts. I know him and there’s no way he would okay such scripts,” he said.

Islam said that sometimes theatre companies changed their script after submitting it to the scrutiny committee, but again, it was the Home Department’s job to subsequently monitor the play and take action.

Punjabi promotion

Mian Naseer Ahmed of the PML-N caught out the minister in a question about what his department was doing to promote the Punjabi language. Islam said that the department produced a monthly magazine about Punjabi called Tarinjan.

Ahmed asked if the magazine was available in the assembly library, to which Islam said that it was.

“No it isn’t. I asked them at the library and they said that they had never carried that magazine,” he said.

Islam apologised and said that the magazine would be at the library from the next day.

Resolutions

The house took up five resolutions on private members day. Two resolutions concerning the provincial government were accepted, one rejected.

The house agreed with Hassan Murtaza of the PPP that the provincial government should build a boat-bridge on the Chenab at Jogeera village in Jhang district, so farmers can get access to the local market. The house also passed Dr Faiza Asghar’s (PML-Q) resolution that the province’s hospitals get more equipment and doctors.

Zobia Rubab Malik’s (PML-Q) resolution that government employees get extra allowances was rejected on the basis that the provincial government couldn’t afford this.

Ijaz Ahmed Khan’s resolution that the federal government be urged to reduce the air fare to Saudi Arabia on Hajj flights to the same level as non-Hajj flights was passed.

The house also passed Aamir Sultan Cheema’s (PML-Q) resolution that the federal government be urged to reopen an airport in Bhagtanwala, Sargodha. The assembly was then adjourned till 10 am on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2011.