Written by: Maryam Arshad
Posted on: October 12, 2018 | 
| 中文
Sarmad Khoosat as Prisoner Z in No Time To Sleep
“Of all the hardships a person had to face, none was more punishing than the simple act of waiting,” writes Khalid Hosseini in his novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.
These words come to mind, while watching Sarmad Khoosat’s 24-hour live performance as ‘Prisoner Z,’ a death row inmate who spends his last day in solitary confinement, waiting to be executed. ‘No Time to Sleep,’ was streamed live across the globe on 10th October 2018, to show solidarity with death penalty prisoners on the, ‘World Day against the Death Penalty.’
Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), in collaboration with Olomopolo Media, Dawn.com and Highlight Arts, produced this masterpiece that captured the raw and candid emotions of a prisoner waiting for his execution. The performance paid tribute to Zulfiqar Ali Khan, JPP’s first client, who was sentenced to death after shooting two armed robbers in self-defense. Unable to afford a lawyer, Zulfiqar was assigned a court-appointed defense counsel, who refused to cooperate. Due to unfair trials and the lack of competency shown by concerned authorities, he ended up spending 17 years on death row, while his execution was scheduled and stayed more than 20 times. Despite the agony he went through, Khan, who had been a young Physical Training Instructor in the Navy, helped educate and rehabilitate more than 400 prisoners and managed to gather 48 degrees and diplomas himself. He was eventually executed in 2015, leaving behind two daughters.
Dawn.com featured a prologue, consisting of the warrants sent, petitions rejected and articles written about Zulfiqar’s case, providing context for Z’s story. Photographs and short clips of Z were also posted before the performance. The live stream finally began when 24 hours remained to execution. Z either sat on the hard floor of his cell or walked around, conversing with the guard or praying under his breath. Mostly, he just waited, counting down the seconds to his own death. Sometimes, he felt that time seemed to be running out, and at other times it passed by excruciatingly slowly. There were moments of composure and silence, as well as instances where he succumbed to tears and hysteria. Different shades of grief overcame him, until it was time to change and leave his jail cell. As the performance came to an end, the epilogue revealed that Z received a temporary stay of execution one hour before he was hanged, forcing the audience to imagine how the real Zulfiqar went through this trauma twenty times.
Although it was physically impossible to stay hooked to the screen for 24 hours, Khoosat’s gripping performance pulled the viewer back in every time. It was even more compelling on the set at Evernew Studios, Lahore. Although viewers had to stand behind a black mesh screen and could only watch the performance for thirty minutes, Khoosat’s energy resonated through the entire hall. While sitting in the dark, you could feel the intensity build up with each passing moment, as the lightbox over the “jail cell” provided a well-lit view of the set. Three cinematographers were ready to capture every moment of Khoosat’s performance, and his expressions were both intense and subtle, depending on the agony Z was confronting. It felt all too real, because the veteran actor spent six months understanding, researching and attempting to emulate the solitary confinement of death row inmates. With cameras rolling for 24 consecutive hours, Khoosat did not lose character even once, keeping his body language consistent, and his eyes, fearful and dreading throughout. The supporting cast, such as Irfan Khoosat (Z’s father) and Ibrahim Rana (Z’s brother) also put up brilliant performances. But the star was undoubtedly Sarmad Khoosat, whose soulful and moving performance, shed light upon our faulty Judicial System.
“No Time to Sleep” is as captivating on screen as it is in real life. There was a hustle and bustle outside the studio, with everyone running around to ensure there were no delays in the performance, but inside everyone sat quietly fixated by the performance. Witnessing the sheer hard work that goes into such a complex production was certainly an overwhelming experience, and increased my appreciation of the final result.
The performance was well received internationally, such as in the UK where it was screened live in the Houses of Parliament in London, alongside the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Abolition of the Death Penalty. In the University of Cambridge, JPP’s spokesperson Zainab Mahboob also gave a speech. Furthermore, No Time to Sleep was also streamed at European Union parliament in Brussels with Parliamentarians for Global Action. Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, H.E. Jean-François Cautain stated, “We strongly believe that death penalty constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and is contrary to the right to life."
Though international forums understand the issue at hand, the performance was a wake-up call for Pakistani authorities and citizens. According to the data gathered by JPP, around 4500 people have been sentenced to death in Pakistan since 2004 - and this includes the six-year moratorium on executions. After the 2014 APS attack, the moratorium was lifted and since then, 496 people have been hanged. But a country traumatized and desensitized by terrorist attacks needs a humanizing voice, to remind its people that fighting fire with fire will not ease the pain of our own burns.
No Time to Sleep made us realize that there are hundreds like Zulfiqar Ali Khan who spend years awaiting death. It highlighted the mistreatment of prisoners in jail cells, the absence of justice in courtrooms, and the implementation of inhumane punishments on the innocent. First of its kind in Pakistan, this 24-hour live performance leaves you completely dazed and overwhelmed. Not only does it impact the audience, it also sets the bar extremely high for any and all performances by the creative community of Pakistan.
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