LAHORE: After the federal government decided to lift the ban on Pakistan’s Oscar nominee feature film ‘Joyland’ on Thursday with certain cuts, the Punjab government within less than 24 hours recalled its previous decision of allowing the producer to exhibit the movie.
A notice issued by the Punjab Information and Culture Department on Thursday to film producer Sarmad Sultan Khoosat stated that under Section-9, 1 and 2 (a) and (b) of the Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979, and the rules made thereunder, the government has decided to re-call ‘Joyland’ “in the wake of persistent complaints received from different quarters”.
Section-9, I and II (a) and (b) of the Ordinance suggest that the government may, at any stage, call for the record of any proceedings in relation to any film that may be pending before or has been decided by the board. After such inquiry into the matter as considered necessary and without notice to the person who has applied for certification of the film, or to whom a certificate in respect of the film has been granted to the distributor or exhibitor of such film, make such order in relation thereto as it thinks fit.
The notice also directs the producer that his team cannot exhibit the film in the jurisdiction of Punjab till further notice by the government. The second part of the notice says that the government can direct that a film or class of films in respect of which a certificate has been granted under the Motion Pictures Ordinance or under the Censorship of Films Act, 1963, (XVIII of 1963), shall be deemed to be an uncertified film.
The section also states that no such order can be made by the government unless it is satisfied that it is necessary to do so ‘in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan’.
It may be noted that Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan of the JI a few days ago had shared a copy of the notice dated November 11 that read that the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) Islamabad granted the censor certificate on August 17 this year.
However, after receiving complaints that ‘the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979, the federal government declared ‘Joyland’ ‘uncertified’.
Following backlash from various quarters, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed an eight-member committee to examine the complaints and recommend action.
On Wednesday, the head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi tweeted: “The film ‘Joyland’ has been cleared for release by the censor board review committee formed at the direction of PM Shehbaz Sharif. Freedom of speech is fundamental right and should be nourished within ambits of the law.”
The film stars debutantes Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, and Rasti Farooq alongside some of Pakistan’s beloved and respected actors like Sarwat Gilani, Sania Saeed, Sohail Sameer and Salmaan Peerzada and is set to release in Pakistan on November 18.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022