Daily Times

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza on Monday issued notice to the federal government and others on petitions challenging ban on exhibition of Pakistani film ‘Maalik’.

The judge sought replies from the respondents including federal government, Punjab government, censor board and others till May 11 on a stay application to suspend the operation of impugned notification and give permission to air the film.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and advocate Munir Ahmad moved these petitions.

Rasheed’s counsel Sheraz Zaka said that the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Heritage, through a notification of April 27, had imposed ban on exhibition of the film. He submitted that the censor board had earlier given approval for exhibition of this film.

He said that after 18th amendment, the government had no authority to impose ban on any film, as the matter pertaining to motion pictures was devolved to provinces. He pleaded that the film was on the topic of corruption, which was hot in the prevailing circumstances after Panama leaks. He stated that the medium of film was always used to create awareness against the evils, adding that movie or drama made for social development couldn’t be banned. He requested the court to set aside the notification banning the exhibition of movie.

Petitioner Munir Ahmad counsel Muhammad Azhad Siddique alleged that in order to protect the federal government, the Sindh government had issued the impugned notification. He submitted that after the Panama leaks, the said feature film was going to help understand method, process and mechanism under which the ruling elite misuses their powers and plays with the national interests of Pakistan. Resultantly, he added, this movie was not acceptable due to its content, so the federal government, in connivance with the concerned ministry, issued the impugned notification.

He stated that the impugned notification proves that the ministry had not only exceeded from his powers while issuing the notification but has also tried to assault the real essence of 18th amendment only to cure the corrupt political elite of the government.