LHC declares ban on Maalik 'illegal'

Judge gave verdict which was reserved earlier after hearing the arguments

Lahore High Court on Wednesday overturned a ban on Ashir Azeem’s Maalik months after the Federal Information and Culture Ministry placed a ban on the film's release.

Declaring the ban on the movie as 'illegal', Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza of LHC called for the province-wide screening of the film.



Earlier on September 6, Sindh High Court declared the ban on Maalik as illegal and ordered screening of the movie. However, after the SHC’s order, the Punjab government had jurisdiction to ban the movie in accordance with the orders of the federal government.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed had challenged the ban. His counsel, Advocate Sheraz Zaka stated in his petition that the government unlawfully imposed the ban, as after the 18th Amendment this power had been devolved to provinces.

Rasheed said the film was banned after two weeks of its screening that showed sheer mala fide on the part of the government. The petitioner contended that Maalik highlighted corruption and it was neither against the sovereignty of state nor social values. He said the impugned notification proved that the ministry concerned not only exceeded its powers while imposing the ban, but also tried to assault the real essence of 18th Amendment only to save corrupt political elite of government.



The petitioner stated that the people of Pakistan had the fundamental right to watch a film in view of Article 19 of the Constitution and the impugned ban was not in accordance with the law.

The judge gave the verdict which was reserved earlier after hearing the arguments.