Madeeha Gauhar

Madeeha Gauhar (; 21 September 1956 – 25 April 2018) was a Pakistani TV and stage actress, playwright, director of social theater, and women's rights activist. In 1984, she founded Ajoka Theatre where social themes were staged in theaters, on the street and in public places. With Ajoka Theater, she performed in Asia and Europe.

Early life and career Madeeha Gauhar was born in 1956 in Karachi, Pakistan. After obtaining a Master of Arts degree in English literature from Government College Lahore, she moved to England where she obtained another master's degree, studying theater science at the University of London.

In 1983, with her studies completed, she returned to her native country, settling in Lahore. She was involved in the Women's March on 12 February when she and others protested against the martial law regime. She was photographed being pushed back by a police officer.

Gauhar and her husband Shahid Nadeem founded Ajoka Theatre in 1984, a notable theater group of significance in the city. In 2007, she won the International Theatre Pasta Award.

In 2007, Ajoka performed a play that was written and directed by Gauhar, the Burqavaganza (Burqa-vaganza), which led to great controversy. Actors dressed in burkas acted out themes of sexual discrimination, intolerance and fanaticism. From a Western perspective, the piece was a rather innocent performance on hypocrisy of a society that bathes in corruption. In her own country, though, Members of Parliament called for a ban on the performance, and the Minister of Culture threatened with sanctions, if the stage play continued. The ban on the stage play was finally imposed as threatened, but the non-governmental organizations and women's rights activists had the play translated into English and did staged performances internationally as a sign of support to Ajoka.

Major plays Toba Tek Singh based on Saadat Hasan Manto's short story Madeeha Gauhar tried to promote peace between India and Pakistan and tirelessly campaigned for it. She also was widely considered as one of Pakistan's leading women's rights activists. At the first iteration of the 1st Indus Drama Awards in 2005, she was nominated for Best Actress Drama Serial in a Supporting Role. Madeeha Gauhar was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. In 2006, Gauhar was awarded Prince Claus Award in the Netherlands Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Distinction), awarded to her by the President of Pakistan in 2003 for her efforts in improving Pakistani theatre. Fatima Jinnah Award by the Government of Pakistan in 2014