May 12, 2003	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1424

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TORONTO, May 11: Pakistani community will join Canada’s South Asian Heritage celebrations next week by organizing a colourful programme which will include grand dinner, national songs, folk music and dances.

The event, entitled “From Khyber to Mehran”, will also include a display of art exhibition “Journey through Pakistan”.

The programme will be held here on May 19. A number of Canadian ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, including Pakistani Consul General Ghalib Iqbal, and prominent community leaders have been invited to attend the show.

Meanwhile, the World Premiere of “A Drop of Blood”, an English-language version of the Urdu performance piece, Ek Qatra Khoon, created by Rajasthani actor Ashwatthama JD, will also be presented during the month-long heritage celebrations.

It describes the historic battle of Karbala and the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein (AS) 1400 years ago.

This is a significant event in Islamic history, and the play draws its relevance to contemporary times and exhorts us to struggle for truth and the basic rights of human existence.

Originally written and performed in Urdu by actor/director Ashwatthama JD, this one-man show has received critical acclaim all over India, and most recently won an award at the 21st International Fadjr Theatre Festival in Tehran.

It now comes to Canada as an English-language performance, devised by Sally Jones, the Artistic Director of Rasik Arts, and performed by its originator, Ashwatthama JD.

Ek Qatra Khoon is the culmination of two years of intensive research in Islamic history by Mr JD.