LHC seeks replies from govt, DCO on petition against ban on Dirty Girl

The petitioner submitted that the film was screened on Eid, but banned on August 14 without any reason.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has sought written replies from the federal government and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Lahore on a petition challenging the ban on the exhibition of Urdu language film Dirty Girl by August 23.

The petitioner had earlier submitted that the censor board had duly allowed the exhibition of Dirty Girl and that the film was screened on Eidul Fitr.

He said that all of a sudden, however, the authorities concerned had banned the exhibition of the film on August 14 without any reason.

The court had earlier summoned the chairperson of the federal film censor board along with DCO Lahore.

On Friday, counsel for the DCO said that the petitioner, producer of the film Qaiser Sanaullah, had sought permission for the exhibition of the film from the Sindh Censor Board and could exhibit it there.

He also said that there was no separate censor board for Punjab, and only those films were allowed that had been approved by the federal censor board.

The petitioner claimed that other films were being exhibited in Punjab with permission from the Sindh censor board, and no objection had been raised against those. Therefore, there was no justification for banning the exhibition of Dirty Girl, he submitted.

The judge has sought written replies from the two respondents by August 23.

He said that the illegal act of the respondents had caused huge financial and mental loss to the petitioner, and requested the ban imposed on the exhibition of the film to be declared illegal and unlawful.