LAHORE: Famous artist, playwright and founder of Ajoka theatre Madeeha Gauhar passed away on Wednesday in Lahore. Renowned director of the social theatre had been fighting with cancer from the last three years. Wife of a director, elder sister of famous actress Faryal Gauhar and mother of actress and producer Savera Nadeem left the Pakistani drama industry grief-stricken. Her funeral prayers will be held on Thursday near her residence. Gauhar founded the Ajoka Theatre in 1984 and committed herself in advocacy of women rights and social activism. The theatre aimed to bring social change through plays on social issues such as honour killing, female literacy and human rights. Ajoka theatre had performed in many countries in Asia and Europe as well as staged plays in open grounds of underprivileged areas to create awareness. Madeeha Gauhar,born in 1956 in Karachi was renowned for her contribution to the theatre. In 2006 Gohar was honoured with the Prince Claus Award by Ambassador of Netherlands for her work and leadership of Ajoka theatre. Ajoka theatre pioneered the theatre movement in Pakistan with its first play ‘Jaloos’ in Lahore in 1984. The play was staged in a house lawn in defiance to strict censorship laws. Since then Ajoka has been dedicated to perform lesson-based and socially-meaningful plays to create awareness.