KARACHI: The National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) seems to be in a spot of bother. News is that it’s chief operating officer (COO) Sameeta Ahmed, who had replaced chief executive officer (CEO) Junaid Zuberi not long ago, has resigned. But it seems that the story of Napa’s — for want of a better phrase — unsteady performance didn’t begin in 2025.
Mr Zuberi had joined the academy in 2021 after a great deal of consideration once those who had helped build the institution (music composer Arshad Mahmud and sitar maestro Nafees Ahmad) left it on their own volition (or otherwise) and the legendary Zia Mohyeddin, the founder of Napa, was promoted to the post of President Emeritus.
It was a move that confused theatre and music lovers who wondered why the above-mentioned two popular individuals were not integral to Napa anymore.
The change in faculty wasn’t smooth either. Those who had served under Mr Mohyeddin — theatre person Khalid Ahmed, for example — too gradually bid farewell to the academy.
Napa chairman Jawaid Iqbal says COO Sameeta Ahmed resigned due to health issues
One is reminded of eminent journalist Wusatullah Khan, who is a diploma holder in theatre arts from Napa, asking a question last year on Facebook about how the academy was doing. It was a note of concern. Talking to Dawn, he said, “After Zia Mohyeddin, Napa has been on a decline. There’s an issue with teachers. Obviously, it’s not that lot which had joined Napa early on and were trained here. Most of the old ones have left in dismay. Now we see new makhlooq (creatures) who obviously don’t have the kind of commitment that founding members had.”
Shedding light on the incident that had prompted him to use social media, he mentioned head of the theatre department. “She had misbehaved with a competent actress Noreen Gulwani and asked the guards to show her the door. It didn’t go down well with some students and they got flared up. This is the reason I wrote on Facebook.”
A few days back, two groups of boys (students) at Napa fought over something because of which one boy was badly hurt and began to bleed. The incident also involved the teacher that Wusatullah Khan has talked about.
Body formed to oversee Napa’s affairs
Napa’s Board of Directors (BoD) Chairman Syed Jawaid Iqbal gave his point of view in the following words, “Sameeta Ahmed has resigned due to health issues. I have formed a committee comprising Javed Jabbar, Mehtab Rashdi and Shahrukh Hassan to look into Napa affairs. They are dealing with it. You can’t please everyone.”
He continued: “To my knowledge, the issue is the semester system. I think we’re going back to the early system. Eighty per cent students want the old system which was changed by head of the theatre department. Earlier, there used to be a four-month course with no gaps. In the new system, there’s a break for two months. Musicians need constant riyaz. They can’t have a break.”
Mr Iqbal said he has heard about the brawl between students that took place recently resulting in a boy getting injured. He agreed with the assumption that the behaviour of a particular person has caused problems.
“Zia Mohyeddin was a man of stature. He was a giant. Now there is no one like him in the country. What can we do? I have asked Moniza Hashmi to help us with things. She is helping us now,” he added.
Later in the evening on Thursday, a press release stated that the Napa’s BoD had accepted the resignation of the head of the Department of Theatre Arts, Afreen Seher.
“Till such time as a permanent replacement is found, the Head of the Music Department will officiate as acting Head of Theatre Arts Department,” the board announced.
Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2025
