Drama on Kashmir issue performed at Lahore’s Alhamra

The Maas Foundation performed its acclaimed play, Aseer-e-Azadi, at Alhamra on Monday.

The play was part of the ongoing Lahore Lahore Aye festival being organised by the Punjab government.

It was staged in connection with the Kashmir black day to show solidarity with people of Kashmir. Through the play, the Maas Foundation appealed to all the people to raise their voice against the Indian atrocities and aggression in the held Kashmir and pressurise India to hold free and fair plebiscite in the occupied areas according to the UN resolutions.

The drama was also about the ongoing freedom movement in Kashmir. It highlighted the brutality of Indian troops who had raped thousands of innocent Kashmiri girls and killed their men.

It revolved around the story of the family of Jalal Baba who had to face miserable conditions due to Indian army and his daughter, Mahrukh, was raped by an Indian army soldier.

Maas Foundation President Aamir Nawaz said the play focused the Kashmir dispute as an internationally recognised issue that needed to be resolved in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

The cast of the play included Zohaib Haider, Hifza Tahir, Afzaal Nabi, Syed Zeeshan Haider, Chaudhry Zaheer Taj, Imran Armani, Ahmad Ali, Tanveer Khalid, Mansoor Bhatti, Muqadas Doll, Syed Hammad Ejaz and Sarfraz Ansari.

Aseer-e-Azadi was written by Aslam Mughal and Afzaal Nabi while it was directed by Aamir Ali. Azeem Noor was the assistant director of the play while set and lights were designed by Aamir Nawaz. Music was composed by Imran Nawaz while Imran Armani was the choreographer.

The Maas Foundation had performed the same play in 2019 in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council. Later, it performed the play in a number of national and international theatre festivals, including those in Turkmenistan, India, Sri Lanka, China, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

Originally published in Dawn, October 31st, 2023