Awami Theatre Festival Marks Kashmir Solidarity Day with “Dukhtar-e-Kashmir”

 By: Aziz Khatri

 Karachi: The ongoing Awami Theatre Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, witnessed one of its most powerful and emotionally charged performances on its 16th day with the staging of “Dukhtar-e-Kashmir”, presented in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day. Written by noted playwright Bashir Saddozai and directed by Adam Rathore, the play emerged as a major highlight of the festival, drawing an overwhelming response from the audience.

The ensemble cast — Shanzay, Warda, Ajnabi, Sapna Ghazal, Nadeem Malik, Shehzad Malik, Ilyas Nadeem, Shareef Baloch, Abdullah Lala, Kamal Idrees, Manzoor Malik, Mehak Noor, Shahina, and Javed Qureshi — delivered compelling performances that earned sustained applause and wide appreciation from spectators.

“Dukhtar-e-Kashmir” transcended the boundaries of conventional theatre, presenting itself as a living testimony to a history marked by struggle and resistance. Staged on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day, the production conveyed a clear and forceful message that the people of Pakistan, particularly its artistic community, stand united with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for the right to self-determination.

The play traced the prolonged Kashmiri struggle, rooted in a history predating the partition of the subcontinent, and highlighted the immense sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people. It underscored the belief that despite enduring decades of oppression, retreat is no longer an option. Through its narrative, the production referenced the political and resistance roles of figures such as Sheikh Abdullah, Syed Ali Geelani, Yasin Malik, and Asiya Andrabi, while also touching upon alleged conspiracies linked to the Modi government regarding Kashmiri Pandits.

Through intense and emotionally charged scenes, the play depicted the harsh realities of life in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, pellet gun injuries that have blinded countless civilians, and the enduring grief of mothers who have lost their loved ones. At the same time, the drama was not merely a chronicle of suffering; it also emerged as a story of resilience, resistance, and hope — a hope that continues to survive in every Kashmiri household.

A central theme of the production was the portrayal of womanhood as a symbol of the Kashmiri nation itself. The Kashmiri woman was presented as a daughter, a mother, and a sister — a figure subjected to immense brutality, yet standing as the strongest emblem of courage and resistance.

At a time when Kashmir is often reduced to a political “dispute” in global discourse, “Dukhtar-e-Kashmir” sought to restore the human dimension to the narrative, reminding audiences that Kashmir is not merely a geographical territory but a land inhabited by people with dreams, fears, and enduring aspirations.

The open-air theatre was filled to capacity as the audience responded with prolonged applause, paying rich tribute to the artists and the profound message of the play. The production reaffirmed the belief that when art aligns itself with truth, it becomes one of the most powerful forms of protest.