Daily Times

LAHORE: A street theatre on section 498-A of the Pakistan Penal Code will be held in Liberty area of Gulberg on December 30.

With the play, the European Union’s Punjab Access to Justice Project will formally reach its conclusion.

Under the project, a series of street theatre performances have been held in three major southern districts of the province. These performances in Multan, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur have been underway since December 9th. The purpose has been to promote greater understanding of women’s inheritance rights.

In a statement, the organisers say it is widely acknowledged that women are denied their inheritance rights, or in case they willingly relinquish these rights.

The play titled Daffa 498-A, or Article 498-A, directly addresses a specific topic from the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC) which deals with denying a woman her inheritance rights. The play has been performed in the three selected districts by the Azad Theatre. The cast of the play is a given a basic script and it is required to improvise occasionally to ensure that no two performances are ever the same.

In addition to raising awareness on legal issues, the play also provides information about the District Legal Empowerment Committees which provide free legal assistance to needy and vulnerable litigants. Through this classic theatre format, the project team has engaged with the affected communities to raise awareness about the issue and the remedies available.

The expected outcome of the project is to improve access to justice for the poor and vulnerable in the province. Furthermore, the project has been instrumental in developing messages to increase public knowledge about rights and the availability of legal and judicial services.

Speaking on the occasion, team leader John Lipton said “empowering the needy and the vulnerable of the province may not be achieved unless people are educated to claim their fundamental rights. Through initiatives such as circle theatre, members of the ordinary public may engage in meaningful debates as they cast a fresh glance at standing practices and decide whether their interpretation meets the needs of today’s society.”

Published in Daily Times, December 28^th 2017.