LAHORE: Shahid Nadeem’s play “Barri” (acquittal), which had its premiere at the Theatre Row in New York on 15 June, has received critical acclaim. At a panel discussion, critics regarded the play as a very sensitive and multi-layered on the theme of women’s rights in Pakistan. The panel was moderated by Lisa Chang, artistic director of Pan-Asian Repertory Theatre and included theatre scholar Dr Fawzia Afzal Khan, author Dr Saadia Toor and Shahid Nadeem. Dr Fawzia Afzal, who was part of the original cast of “Barri”, talked about her experience of performing the role of Marium, a woman imprisoned for dancing at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Hussain, and how the play changed her life and she became a theatre scholar and performer. Lisa Chang found the play very relevant to all societies dominated by the patriarchal system and thanked Shahid Nadeem for attending the premiere and the panel.