‘This is (Not) A Game’ launched
LAHORE: A street play highlighting the plight of family members of death row prisoners at the Saviours Church, Khaliq Nagar kick started Justice Project Pakistan’s interactive campaign titled ‘This is (not) a game’.
This interactive campaign is aimed to commemorate this year’s World Day Against the Death Penalty’s theme ‘Women and Death Penalty: Invisible Realities’. During its course, the multifaceted campaign will engage different segments of society through various mediums including street performances, radio shows, social media filters and a browser game. The campaign will conclude on October 15 after a performance in Karachi at Central Jail for Women.
‘This campaign is just a glimpse of what women have to face when they encounter a criminal justice system underlined by the patriarchal biases’, said Laiba Zainab, communications officer of Justice Project Pakistan. ‘The gender disparity in Pakistan’s criminal justice system makes it harder for female prisoners as well as women trying to save their loved ones from injustice by fighting for right to due process, effective legal representation and right to health facilities in prisons.’, she added.
Families of death row defendants, particularly women, face tough and often traumatic experiences in a system that inherently discriminates against them.
Currently there are more than 3,800 prisoners on death row with thousands awaiting trials for offences that are punishable by death in Pakistan.
The play follows the story of a woman trying to save her husband from death penalty while navigating through Pakistan’s flawed criminal justice system by making impossible decisions.Should she compromise her children’s education to pay the legal fees? Should she relocate to protect her children? An hour long play allowed the audience to enact the perspective of this central female character making them come face to face with the harsh realities of the lives of the family members of indigent defendants arrested for capital offences.
‘It was a challenge to convert a video game into a play, but street theatre offers a unique energy to engage the audience to interact with a sensitive subject like this.’ Said Malik Aslam, director and writer of the play. ‘Today’s interaction with the audience, we believe, will leave many empowered with hope and filled with empathy towards such prisoners.’ He added.
Developed by Justice Project Pakistan in collaboration with Azad Theatre, the play is scheduled to be performed at community spaces, educational institutes and prisons in Multan, Faisalabad and Karachi. The cast included Sarfaraz Ansari, Aliya Abbasi, Nadeem Abbas and Imran Khan. -Pr