This is the kind of society that we’ve become. We cannot protect anyone, leave alone artists.

Lahore’s stage performer Kismet Baig’s brutal murder has again raised multiple questions about the unbridled use of weapons in our country and the kind of life that the artist community leads. It is not clear as to what the motive of her killers was. However, what’s clear is that artists need protection.

The memory of Amjad Sabri’s murder is still fresh in our minds. After the incident, a good number of actors and singers had gathered demanding security for their fraternity. Their demand was legitimate because it is an alarming situation and the authorities concerned must do something about it.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 4th, 2016