Sir: An amazing play by Anwar Maqsood, and directed by Dawar, is being staged these days at the Islamabad Club. It was so emotional it made myself and many others cry. I wish I could express in words the deep sense of loss and sorrow one feels after seeing the play. A greater sense of sorrow, remorse, shame and betrayal was, however, felt while we waited in a queue outside in the cold. We reached one hour before the play and only two other people were there before us. While we waited for the gates to open, at least a dozen ‘true’ Pakistanis were ushered in by the guard and authorities despite our feeble protests. I feel sad that even when we are supposed to be watching a patriotic play we cannot act decent enough to wait for our turn. The same people, when in any other country, will wait in lines happily but, since they own this country, they have the right to step on everyone else just to mark their authority. What is even more tragic is the sense of despair on people’s faces — we are so used to this behaviour that it has silenced society. We have given up. Now I cry because I remember the sad and hopeless eyes of so many good people who were standing there, silently, not even protesting but just waiting to be called in to see what Pakistan has become. We do not need to watch a play. Our lives are a living tragedy wherein we suffer every day abuse at the hands of those for whom this country was made: the VIPs. DR IRFAN ZAFAR Islamabad