LHC imposes restriction on Indian movies
- November 19, 2013, 9:25 pm
- National News
- 129 Views
LAHORE, Nov 19 (Online): Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday imposed restrictions on the screening of Indian films across the country and laid down certain conditions for their release.
Justice Khalid Mahmood of LHC issued the interim order in response to a petition filed by a private TV talk show host.
The petitioner claimed that under Pakistani rules, Indian movies that are shot completely in India and are sponsored by an Indian cannot be screened in the country.
He alleged "fake papers" were being used to change the identity of sponsors to screen Indian films in Pakistan, adding he also produced a court order to back up his arguments.
The court directed authorities not to allow the screening of films that are imported using fake documents and are not sponsored by a Pakistani or foreign national.
The judge also directed the Film Censor Board and Board of Revenue to respond to the petition at the next hearing on November 25.
The court's order came days after Pakistan's electronic media regulator slapped fines worth Rs 10 million on 10 entertainment channels for airing excessive Indian and foreign content, including films and serials.
Indian movies have largely fuelled a boom in the Pakistani box office after former military ruler Pervez Musharraf eased restrictions on their import in 2006.
It is pertinent to mention that screening of Indian movies was banned by Pakistan after the 1965 war but pirated copies of the films were widely available across the country.
