In a widely condemned move, Punjab’s new Minister for Information and Culture Fayazul Hassan Chohan on Thursday ordered a province-wide ban on ‘vulgar’ and ‘indecent’ film posters displayed inside and outside cinema houses.
According to an official notification shared on his Twitter account, the minister ordered that necessary action would be taken for the removal of signboards displaying such advertisements, under the Indecent Advertisement Probation Act 1993 and the Punjab Motion Picture Ordinance 1979.
Social media users took the minister to task and likened the notification to Zia era curbs on freedom of expression.
The development came a day after a video went viral on social media showing the minister using questionable language for the entertainment industry.
“If any vulgar poster goes up in or outside a cinema house in Punjab, there will first be a fine and if they continue the practice, the cinema will be shut down,” the minister warned.
“Is this civilised that you print out half-naked pictures of women and put up huge posters of them,” he questioned.
“People watch porn for that kind of entertainment,” he added.
Turning to theatre, Chohan said: “I had wished that this matter also came in my jurisdiction.”
The minister then turned his guns towards famous theatre artist Nargis, saying he would have made her observe 300 fasts a year instead of 30 obligatory fasts in Ramazan. “It is not only Indian content, but what Pakistani films and stage shows portray that has led towards the decline of the industry,” he concluded.
In another video that has also gone viral on social media, the Punjab information minister could be seen hurling abuses during an interview with a private television channel.
The video shows the minister losing his cool apparently after he was asked several ‘tough questions’. He then hurled abuses and stood up. While leaving, he can be seen cussing at the TV crew and saying in an off-the-record video, “You guys should be ashamed of yourself, is this the way?”
Later, senior Punjab Minister Aleem Khan apologised over the behaviour of his colleague. The issue must have been brought into the knowledge of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, he said.
Meanwhile, the veteran theatre artist, in her reaction to the minister’s statement, advised him to be careful next time or else she would take legal action.
“Every individual has respect; be careful next time or else every respectable person reserves the right to take legal action,” she warned Chohan.
“Whoever this minister is, I have listened to his statement and I would only like to tell him that you are on a responsible post. Choose your words rightly. Such words are not used for any woman sitting back at home,” Nargis said.
Published in Daily Times, August 31st 2018.