Licence to exhibit: ‘Smuggled films not screened in cinemas’

Justice Khan asked both counsel to present their arguments at the next hearing.

LAHORE:

After going through the reply submitted by the Pakistan Film Censor Board, the Lahore High Court on Monday asked the counsel on both sides to present arguments, on a petition challenging the exhibition of allegedly smuggled Indian films, at the next hearing on December 12.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan also adjourned the hearing of a contempt of court petition against the chairman.

The chairman had submitted a written reply stating that the board had stopped the exhibition of movies that had been smuggled into the country. “No such films are being exhibited now,” his reply read.

Justice Khan then asked both counsel to present their arguments at the next hearing.

The counsel for the petitioner had said that the court had issued directions to the chairman to stop the exhibition of smuggled films, but the films continued to be exhibited. He said the chairman should be tried for wilful contempt of court.

Mubashar Luqman, the petitioner, had said that Indian films were being smuggled into Pakistan and the Pakistan Censor Board was illegally issuing licences to them. He said that Indian films promoted terrorism and asked the court to direct the interior ministry to take action against the cinemas where these films were exhibited. Luqman also asked the court to direct the customs authorities to crackdown on the smuggling of films.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2013.