ISLAMABAD: On the face of it, Lo Phir Basant Ayee sounds like a harmless play, containing - at the most – sarcastic references to government policies and satirising problems arising out of extremism.

But the powers-that-be disagree. After successful runs at the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi and the Alhamra Arts Complex in Lahore, the play was supposed to open at the Pakistan National Council of Arts auditorium in the capital sometime next month.

But before they agreed to stage it, PNCA bigwigs asked Ajoka to submit a script for whetting. When the script came back to the theatre group, it was ‘censored’ in several places and the group was asked to remove several parts. This, however, is nothing new for Ajoka creative director Madeeha Gohar, who has been using theatre as a tool to speak against those in power ever since the draconian regime of Gen Ziaul Haq all but culled theatre and the arts.

But what was new was the official letter that came with it. Printed on official PNCA stationery and signed by PNCA Incharge Business Samiullah Baloch, the letter contained a new stipulation guaranteed to raise hackles among the thespian community in Islamabad.

“You are also requested to submit and affidavit on stamp paper (pledging that) you will not take any deviation from approved script. In case of default, PNCA have rights to stop the pay or discontinue collaboration with Ajoka Theatre in future,” read the letter.

Theatre group asked to submit undertaking to stick to ‘heavily censored’ script

Outraged, Ms Gohar wrote back to the PNCA, saying this fresh demand was “unprecedented demand, shocking and uncalled for”.

“It is a mistake to think that today’s writers and artistic directors are at the mercy of those who wish to curtail freedom of expression,” she told Dawn.

In the letter, Ms Gohar stated that while her group has no intentions of deviating from the script approved by the PNCA’s three-member scrutiny boar, she lamented that, “Not even dictators felt the need to demand and affidavit from us for a performance”.

While some of Ajoka’s productions, such as Burqavaganza, have stirred up some controversy in the past, nearly all their production are widely acclaimed as socially-relevant works of art, both inside Pakistan and abroad. The group also has a long history of collaborating with the PNCA.

Other artists also find this new stipulation troubling. Junaid Malik, a theatre producer and filmmaker who has brought shows such as God of Carnage and The Pillow Man to the stage, told Dawn, “It does not make sense. Right outside the PNCA building, anyone people can take to the stage and make whatever derogatory statements they wish and use foul language over loud speakers. But the government is worried about artists and wants to keep them from presenting constructive social criticism.”

Renowned artist and former member of the PNCA Board of Governors (BoG) Salima Hashmi told Dawn, her words steeped in irony, “We need to ask ourselves if the ‘democratic dispensation’ that was the hallmark of Gen Zia, continues to this day.”

She argued that the PNCA BoG, made up of people with a background in the arts, should have the prerogative to make such decisions. But the BoG has not met in several years.

Intikhab Alam, Deputy Secretary Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, which runs PNCA, also holds additional charge as director general of PNCA. He told Dawn, “The condition that that performers have to submit an undertaking that they will not deviate from the approved script is mandatory.”

He said that Ajoka had misunderstood the request. “PNCA has only requested for an undertaking that the group should stick to the approved script. There have been instances in the past where performers deviated from the approved script, creating an embarrassing situation for PNCA,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd , 2014