Pakistan govt postpones release of ‘Zindagi Tamasha’

Islamabad, Jan 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has postponed the release of the controversial film "Zindagi Tamasha". The ministry has taken this step over fears of violence due to alleged hurting of religious sentiments.

The film was scheduled to release on January 24.

According to Dawn news, the governments of Punjab and Sindh province banned the release of the film after Tehreek-e-Labbaq (TLP) threatened to protest against the film for allegedly containing blasphemy.

The proposed protest against the film was also postponed on Wednesday, in a statement issued by TLP's Publications Department, just hours after the release of the notification regarding the release of the film.

The story of the film is written by Nirmal Bano and its director is Saramat Khoosat.

Firdaus Ashiq Awan, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, tweeted, "The Central Board of Film Certification has directed the filmmakers not to release the film and decided to approach the Council of Islamic Ideology to consider the matter."

The Sindh Board of Film Sensors (SBFC) has asked all cinema exhibitors and distributors not to exhibit the film till further orders.

The SBFC said in the notification, "If the film is released for public display, it can cause religious instability in the society and deteriorate the atmosphere, which can be detrimental to the peaceful state of the country."

The information department of the Punjab government has also informed Khoosat that the film will be reviewed again in view of various complaints received about it.

Khoosat has been asked to organise a special show for this on February 3 in any theatre where it can be reviewed.

Earlier on Tuesday, the court sought a response from the Censor Boards and TLP on a petition filed by the producers in the Lahore Civil Court against interfering in the release of the film.

Source: IANS