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Movie on Lal Masjid banned in Pakistan

Islamabad - The documentary has been screened in 20 countries and has already bagged 12 awards.

After slapping a ban on the feature film Maalik last week, the federal government has now banned a documentary Among the Believers directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi. Ironically, the documentary has been screened in 20 countries and has already bagged 12 awards.
The documentary focuses on the Lal Masjid situation and apart from following Maulana Abdul Aziz and his network for five years it also contains those never-shared-before stories of people who stood up against extremist ideology.
The reason the Central Board of Film Censors has given in its notification for the ban is that Among the Believers "projects the negative image of Pakistan in the context of ongoing fight against extremism, terrorism".
Talking to Dawn, Naqvi said: "The documentary premiered last year at the Tribeca Film Festival. It took us six years to make it. It focuses on two children studying at the Red Mosque who in a way signify the microcosmic representation of the ideological divide that we have.
"The film was to be premiered in Pakistan at a festival in Islamabad on April 29. The festival organisers needed to seek clearance from the authorities which they did not get. When one of our representatives asked them, they said it's banned in the whole country."
Meanwhile, several petitions have been filed in Lahore High Court and Sindh High Court against the ban on movie Maalik. Both courts issued notices to the federal government and fixed May 3 for hearing.
news@khaleejtimes.com

• Pakistan