LAHORE: Punjab Home Department on Thursday imposed ban on four female artistes - Saima Chaudhry, Ghazal Raja, Sonia Shehzadi and Mahi Butt of Sitara Theatre over performing obscene dance. However, the ban on Sonia Shehzadi and Mahi Butt was ended after their appeals were accepted.
According to documents available with The News, Additional Deputy Commissioner Headquarters (ADC) monitored Sitara Theatre and reported Home Department that all four female artistes violated the SOPs.
The document said that all the female artists performed on a song at the same time which was not allowed and the dance performance approved by the Censor Rehearsal Panel was violated. The document said that the gestures of artistes were also highly vulgar during the dance.
In the documents, ADC HQ stated that as per monitoring reports with regard to stage performance, Sitara Theatre was involved in spreading obscenity/vulgarity by objectionable dance performances of female artists. Despite clear instructions from DC office, the management of the theatre failed to amend its behaviour and continuously violated the prescribed SOPs. He recommended that a complete ban may be imposed on all the above-mentioned artistes for a period of six months.