‘Maalik’ Banned in Cinemas Across Pakistan

Three weeks after the Ashir Azeem directorial Maalik premiered at theatres across Pakistan, the federal information ministry has slapped a ban on the film.

According to a notification issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, and National Heritage declared the film ‘uncertified’ according to Section 9 of the Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979.

The information ministry reserves the right to ban any film at any time. Maalik has been banned because it shows a former chief minister as a man of corruption and opulence,” a ministry official, requesting anonymity, told The media.

Talking to The media, Azeem said he was informed about the ban by his distributor. “Even I don’t know why the film has been banned,” he said.

Maalik distributor Mirza Saad Baig said this is the first time a film has been directly banned by the government.

Previously movies were banned by censor boards only. This is a very tricky situation. It is up to the producers to decide what to do next,” he said.

When asked about the reason behind the government’s decision, he added, “We have not been given any details as of yet.”

A Central Board of Film Certification official said the ban partially owes to a plethora of public complaints regarding the portrayal of different ethnicities in general and the country’s politicians, in particular.

The federal government banned Ashir Azeem's film Maalik nationwide.

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