The Lahore High Court on Wednesday lifted ban on exhibition of film 'Maalik'. The court held that if there is a conflict between enforcement of freedom of expression and protection of privacy of unwilling listeners then the former shall prevail. Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and a bar member Azhar Siddique had challenged the ban on exhibition of film 'Maalik'.
The lawyers contended that film Maalik highlighted corruption and it was neither against the sovereignty of state nor social values. They said the federal government had no powers to impose such ban on movies after 18th amendment of the Constitution. They argued that the said amendment empowered the provinces to decide their own matters while federal government had no such powers. The petitioners submitted that the people of Pakistan had fundamental right to watch a film in view of Article 19 of the Constitution and the impugned ban was not in accordance with law. The court after hearing arguments of both sides set aside the ban and allowed exhibition of the movie Maalik.
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