LAHORE: 'Joyland', the Pakistani film portraying romance between a married man and a transgender woman, was cleared for domestic screening on Wednesday, officials said, reversing a government ban.

Lauded by critics, awarded the Jury Prize at Cannes, and nominated as Pakistan's entry for next year's Academy Awards, the movie 'Joyland' was set to open in cinemas across the country on Friday.

The 'Joyland' saga continues, but its entry into Oscars remains intact

However, Pakistan's information ministry stepped in last week to issue a veto declaring the film "repugnant to the norms of decency and morality" and ordered a review by censors.

But Muhammad Tahir Hassan, head of the Central Board of Film Censors, told AFP late on Wednesday that "there is no hindrance from the board for its screening".

"The distributors can screen the film from tomorrow morning if they wish," he added.

Transgender activists rallied around the cause of the film on social media following news of the ban.