Terrorism on Art Centers in Lahore

Lahore is Pakistan’s leading center of art and culture. Recently, on January 09 2009, two theaters in Lahore were targeted by what are thought to be fundamentalist terrorist groups. Five explosions rocked the city’s theaters in the evening, four of them at the Al Falah Theater and one at the Tamaseel Theater.

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While no casualties were reported and no one claimed the responsibility for the attacks, most people including the police officials of the area believe that fundamentalist hostile to cultural/artistic activities would make such attacks. A few suspects have been arrested and are being interrogated. Security has been tightened around other theaters and the blasts have induced a general state of fear among the residents of the area.

As manifest from the Lahore attacks, the terrorist elements are now targeting art/culture centers; female education and certain sects being already their target. The National College of Arts (NCA) and other pro-art institutes have expressed their concern on the blasts and regarded them as violation of basic human rights. Certainly, our lives without art would feel mechanical and alienating. However, it is also true that certain theatrical shows need revision in order to keep in line with the ethical standards for propriety.