The brief detention and alleged manhandling of 75-year-old classical dancer and activist Sheema Kermani by Sindh Police has sparked global outrage and triggered a fierce debate over artistic freedom and civil liberties in Pakistan.
Videos circulating on social media show Kermani, a veteran exponent of Bharatanatyam and Kathak, being forcefully escorted by female police officers outside the Karachi Press Club. The incident occurred when Kermani and other organisers of the Aurat March had gathered to seek a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for their annual demonstration against gender-based violence.
Who is Sheema Kermani?
Born on January 16, 1951, in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, Kermani is a renowned classical dancer, theater artist, and women's rights activist. She comes from a diverse background, with her father serving in the Pakistan Army and later as chairman of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation. Her paternal roots trace back to Lucknow and Kerman in Iran, while her mother's family hails from Hyderabad Deccan.
During her school holidays in India, she developed a deep interest in Indian classical arts, later training in Bharatanatyam, a passion that shaped her lifelong career in dance. She was married to Pakistani theater actor and writer Khalid Ahmed, reported TOI.
Kermani is widely credited with promoting and preserving Bharatanatyam in Pakistan despite conservative resistance to classical dance forms. Over the decades, she has emerged as a prominent cultural figure in Karachi and beyond, blending performance with progressive activism.
Her organisation, Tehrik-e-Niswan (The Women's Movement), has spent over four decades championing women's empowerment, minority rights, and social justice through theatre and dance.
The 'Pasoori' dancer who went viral
While long respected by activists, Kermani reached a new generation of global fans in 2022 through her appearance in the Coke Studio hit 'Pasoori'. Her graceful Bharatanatyam performance in the music video became a viral symbol of cultural pride and resilience.
The footage of the artist being dragged into a vehicle triggered immediate condemnation from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and various civil society groups. Following the public outcry, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar ordered the immediate release of Kermani and her fellow activists.
Authorities have since suspended several police officers involved, promising a "transparent inquiry" into the incident, according to TOI.
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