LAHORE, May 7: “Why Pakistan came into being, what people dreamt of when the country got independence and what is the current situation in Pakistan?” was the theme of an Urdu play staged by Lahore-based Azad Theatre group at Open Air Theatre in Bagh-i-Jinnah on Tuesday.

The play, which was staged in collaboration with the Punjab Council of Arts, had no name or title for the writer had left the space blank with a sign of interrogation, leaving it to the imagination of the audience. The play was all about the feelings, ideas and aspirations of the generation of 1940s.

It talked about the present situation of the country -- the dismal law and order scenario, economic crunch, complex social life, price-hike and everything else the Pakistani nation has gone through since independence. There is also a focus on politics, a subtle indication to the election 2013, politics and its gimmicks. The basic thought from which the story of the play has been driven is the incident of Jallianwala Bagh in which General Dyer went for mass killing in 1919.

The play suggests between the lines that in Pakistan one comes across General Dyers in every field of life and that peace and interfaith harmony in the society and a happy and prosperous Pakistan are need of the hour.

Written and directed by Malik Aslam, the play was laced with national songs in the background. The play will be staged at the same venue till May 9. Sarfraz Ansari, Ali Abbasi, Usman Zia, Khaula Qureshi and Asif Hussain are prominent among the actors.