LAHORE – The Lahore High Court served a notice to the federal government on Friday, asking it to provide reasons for banning film Maalik from cinemas across Pakistan.
According to the details, a hearing on the petition was conducted in which Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza has sought a written reply from federal government and chairman censor board on May 17. A petitioner Mehboob Alam – a lawyer in Lahore – challenged the decision of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting that banned the screening of the aforementioned film.
The petition states that the movie does not spread any kind of ‘anarchy’ and the government has no right to ban the film. The petitioner’s lawyer Saim Choudhry said that the ban came after the censor board approved the movie for screening. “Therefore, the federal government cannot ban it nor does it have the jurisdiction to do so,” the court was told.
Siam further has said that the film is neither anti-Pakistan nor anti-Islam. “It is only anti-corruption. Therefore, there is no reason to ban the film,” he added.
