MULTAN, Dec 25: Theatres resumed staging plays on Friday night after a ban of 14 days but mostly the halls remained empty owing to the restrictions imposed by the local administration.

The eight city theatres were closed when the administration with the help of police had raided and arrested dozens of artists for promoting obscenity on Dec 10 last. Most of the arrested stage artists were actresses.

Later, the district administration and drama producers held several rounds of meetings to evolve a 'code of ethics' to stage plays. A few days ago, the administration allowed the dramas to be staged, but under certain restrictions.

Salient features of the code of ethics are that only four dances could be performed in a drama, the actresses will wear at least half sleeve shirts and high necks, scripts must highlight the positive values of society and there should not be anything against the state and religion in it.

The drama producers had demanded permission for at least six dances and two 'bhangras' in a drama. They had argued that the theatre-goers mainly came to watch dance numbers and in a performance of two-and-a-half-hours it would be difficult to keep them sit for merely four dances. The administration, however, had rejected their stance.

The district coordination officer has delegated the powers of monitoring the stage dramas to the EDO (literacy) after withdrawing the same from EDO (community development).

Drama producer Zawar Baloch told Dawn that the audiences were harassed due to the police action carried out some two weeks ago and that was why they did not come to theatres.

"The police operation was a humiliating experience both for the artists and the theatre-goers," he added.