Pakistani actress and host Mishi Khan have questioned the presence of a young child at a Lahore theatre after a video showing him reacting to a stage dance performance went viral on social media.
Mishi shared the video on Instagram and expressed concern over what she described as an inappropriate performance being watched by a child. She questioned why a youngster was allowed to attend such a show and urged parents and authorities to pay closer attention to the places children are being taken.
In the caption accompanying the video, Mishi called the scene “shameful” and said it was disturbing to see a young child among adults watching what she described as a vulgar theatre performance. She also asked why the child was present at the venue and why he was allowed to watch such content.
Mishi then tagged Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bukhari and asked her to take notice. She referred to previous government action against stage performances considered inappropriate and called for the rules and standard operating procedures for theatres to be properly enforced.
While speaking about the clip, Mishi said she had come across it on Instagram and was surprised to see the child apparently praising the dancer’s moves. She questioned whether children should be attending such performances and said greater attention was needed when it comes to their exposure to adult-oriented content.
Her comments quickly sparked discussion online. Social media users supported Mishi for raising the issue and argued that parents should be more careful about taking children to commercial stage shows, while others continued debating the kind of performances being presented in theatres.
The controversy comes over recent action by Punjab authorities against several stage performers and theatre managements in Lahore and Gujranwala. The Punjab Council of the Arts and the Information & Culture Department issued show-cause notices over alleged violations of government policies, the Punjab Drama Act and prescribed SOPs. The action followed monitoring reports from commercial theatre performances.
Azma Bukhari has also recently reiterated the Punjab government’s position on reducing obscenity in theatre and promoting performances that families can attend comfortably. She said stricter compliance with theatre regulations remains part of the government’s approach to the industry.
