The Lahore High Court on Tuesday overruled the objection of its registrar office to the petition filed to stop the screening of film ‘Joyland’ in cinemas directing it to fix the plea for hearing. On the other hand, the Sindh High Court rejected a similar petition declaring it non-maintainable, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The LHC registrar office objected to the admissibility of the application. However, the court overruled the objection and directed the registrar office to fix it for hearing.
Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabbir heard the petition of citizen Muhammad Bilal Shafiq.
Assistant Attorney General Haroon Mir appeared on behalf of the federal government.
The registrar office objected that the petitioner was not the affected party.
The petitioner said that he was a citizen of Pakistan and the script of the film affected every citizen of the country.
The petitioner requested the court to remove the registrar’s objection and order the case to be heard on the judicial side. .
The petition has made federal government, PEMRA, central film censor board and others respondents in the case.
The petitioner said that the film was made against the moral and religious values and it could badly affect the mores of Islamic society and family system.
The petitioner further stated that a licence could not be issued to such a movie beseeching court to ban the exhibition of the film in Pakistan.
He also requested the court to stop exhibition of the film in Pakistan cinemas till the final decision on the case.
On the other hand, the Sindh High Court has rejected a petition filed against the screening of film ‘Joyland’ declaring it non-maintainable.
Maulvi Iqbal Haider filed a petition in the Sindh High Court.
During the hearing, he said that the release of the film was violation of Article 227 of the Constitution. He said no deed could be performed in Pakistan which was in contravention of the spirt and teachings of Islam.
On this, SHC Chief Justice Ahmad Ali Sheikh inquired of the petitioner had he watched the movie?
The petitioner deflected the question saying the content of the film was not worthy to be discussed in the open court.
The petitioner said Islam does not allow a transgender to love and marry a man.
The chief justice was amazed at the petitioner’s reply and remarked that he had not seen the film, yet he came to the court seeking ban on an unseen movie.
Reporters Malik Ashraf and Bilal Ahmad