District Co-ordination Officer (DCO) Multan Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry has closed all the theatres in Multan till December 16 and cancelled their "No Objection Certificates" with immediate effect. Two female artists Hina Shaheen and Anjuman Shehzadi, who managed to escape, courted arrest while total 53 stage artists who were arrested from five theatres of Multan city on Friday night were bailed out on Saturday noon by three magistrates Syed Zahid Hussain Jafari, Syed Liaquat Ali Naqvi and Syed Naveed Alam.
District Administration launched an operation against the vulgarity, obscenity and indecency and raided six theatres. Police have arrested 40 artists including Kausar Bhatti, Neelum Chaudhry, Saima Khan, Sitara Soomro, Sania Bhatti, Sawera, Kareena, Maria Muskarahat, Neha Ali, Nusrat Aftab, male artists, Directors Aslam Shad, Zawwar Baloch, and producers of plays. While Hina Shaheen, Anjuman Shehzadi, Agha Majid and Saif Boota managed to run away in the mob of spectators.
Later angry mob of viewers destroyed the furniture and set of the Khayyam and Babur Theatres when management of these theatres refused to return their money. Security Guards shot fires in the air to disperse the violent mob but all in vain.
Management of two theatres said that they had incurred loss of Rs 0.2 million and 60,000 respectively.
The female artists told newsmen that district administration had already informed those artists who were responsible for violating the code of ethics and they escaped from arrest while innocent artists were held.