Islamabad: Amid the uproar against the ban on the Pakistani movie “Joyland”, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a “high-level committee” to assess the picture and review its ban.
Sharing the news, the head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi, said that the committee would assess the complaints as well as merits to decide on its release in Pakistan.
Expressing his personal beliefs on banning culture, Sufi said that he does not believe in banning films that highlight issues faced by marginalized segments of our society.
“People should be trusted to watch [and] make their own mind,” he added.
PM @CMShehbaz has constituted a high level committee to assess #Joyland and review its ban.
The committee will assess the complaints as well as merits to decide on its release in Pakistan.
Thank you @Marriyum_A for your efforts. #joylandbanned
— Salman Sufi (@SalmanSufi7) November 14, 2022
Joyland, directed by Saim Sadiq, and helmed by ALL CAPS and Sarmad Khoosat Films, was originally set to release on November 18th, 2022, until Pakistan Censorship Board canceled the release of the Cannes Award Winner.
The movie has received worldwide recognition and accolades after it won the feminist-themed award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
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The film, which portrays the struggles of transgender persons, was to be Pakistan’s first official entry for the Oscars. However, for it to be eligible, it had to be released in the country a week before November 30, 2022.
