ISLAMABAD: The human rights committee of Pakistan’s upper house of parliament said on Tuesday it had reviewed the film ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ (Circus of Life) and found “nothing wrong” with its content contrary to outcry by religious hardliners earlier this year, adding that the film was okay to be screened at Pakistani cinemas once the coronavirus pandemic subsided.
The film’s release, scheduled for January 24, was suspended after religious groups objected to its portrayal of a struggling cleric. Renowned filmmaker Sarmad Khosat posted an open letter on his Twitter account saying he had received several threatening calls and messages over the film. He has repeatedly since said the film was not meant to hurt religious sensitivities but to shed light on growing intolerance in Pakistani society.
“Senate HR [human rights] committee has unanimously agreed with the censor board’s decision to allow screening of movie ‘Zindagi Tamasha’,” committee chair Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said on Twitter after Tuesday’s meeting in which the film was discussed. “We’ve found nothing wrong with it. Censor board has our go ahead to release the film post Covid.”
Pakistan’s ministry of information had earlier referred the matter to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Pakistan’s highest religious advisory body, but the Senate human rights panel said it would look at the matter itself.
Before religious groups cried foul, the film, which is about a cleric shunned after a video of him dancing at a wedding goes viral, had already been cleared by the country’s censor board. Its world premier was at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival last year where it won the top fiction prize.
Pakistan senate clears release of controversial film 'Zindagi Tamasha'
https://arab.news/rtrbs
Pakistan senate clears release of controversial film 'Zindagi Tamasha'
- Film’s January 24 release was suspended after hardliners objected to its portrayal of a struggling cleric
- Senate human rights panel says “nothing wrong” with film, can play at cinemas after coronavirus subsides
Pakistan telecom regulator urges restraint on social media amid regional tensions
- PTA warns against sharing unverified content, says legal action may follow ‘fake news’
- Advisory comes as Pakistan strikes targets in Afghanistan and Iran faces US, Israeli attacks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator on Saturday urged citizens to avoid sharing “unverified or inflammatory” content online, warning that legal action could be taken against those spreading misinformation amid what it described as a “sensitive national situation.”
The advisory from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) comes as Islamabad says it is targeting militant positions inside Afghanistan following a recent flareup between the two neighbors, while Iran is under attack by the United States and Israel in an escalating regional conflict that has heightened security concerns across South and West Asia.
“In view of the prevailing sensitive national situation, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) urges all citizens to be responsible while using social media and digital platforms,” the regulator said in a statement posted on X.
The PTA advised citizens “not to share, disseminate, forward, or upload any unverified, inflammatory, or misleading information/content that may directly or indirectly harm the national interest, public order, or state institutions.”
It said people should instead rely on authentic information based on official sources and refrain from spreading rumors and “fake news.”
“Sharing any fake news/information is liable to legal action in accordance with applicable laws,” the authority said, calling on citizens to act with “caution, maturity, and a strong sense of national responsibility” to help maintain stability and public confidence.
Pakistan in recent years has witnessed increasingly stringent implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), a cybercrime law that has drawn criticism from rights groups, with journalists and activists arrested and prosecuted under its provisions.
