The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Sindh Board of Film Censors (SBFC) to reconsider its decision to block the screening of ‘Ghost School’ and decide the filmmakers’ review petition within two weeks.
The order was issued on Friday by a two-member constitutional bench comprising Justice Adnanul Karim Memon and Justice Muhammad Jafar Raza while hearing a petition filed by the film’s makers under Article 199 of the Constitution.
Ghost School, which was filmed and set in Sindh, follows a 10-year-old girl who questions claims that her school is haunted. The SBFC had stopped the film from being screened in cinemas across the province on July 9.
During Friday’s hearing, the filmmakers’ lawyer Mirza Moiz Baig told the court that the film had already received approval from the federal censor board as well as the Punjab Film Censor Board.
“The film will be presented on big screens in cantonment areas of Karachi, but has been barred from screening in areas administered by the Sindh government,” he said.
The court questioned SBFC Secretary Adil Ahmed about the reasons behind the decision and asked whether the film contained actual “ghosts” that had stopped it from being screened.
Ahmed said that he could not disclose the details because the decision had been taken by the board. “You cannot hide things from the court,” Justice Memon was reported as saying in response.
The judge said that all parties appearing before the court were required to assist it and provide the necessary information. “If you hide the reasons [for censorship], we will allow the petition,” he warned.
The SBFC secretary denied withholding information and sought more time to submit the board’s response.
Baig argued that the Sindh board could only refuse certification on grounds specified under the Sindh Motion Pictures Act, 2011.
Earlier, the filmmakers’ application stated that Section 6(1) allows a film’s exhibition certificate to be refused only if it is prejudicial to the glory of Islam, the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality.
The lawyer argued that the board’s decision did not fall under any of these grounds. He also said that the filmmakers were neither issued a show-cause notice nor given an opportunity to explain their position before the film was barred.
It may be noted that Ghost School won the Best Director award at the UK Asian Film Festival in May and later premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival as a nominee.
