List of films banned in Pakistan

Pakistan banned films from India in 1962, with restrictions tightened in 1979 when Muhammad Zia ul-Haq implemented an Islamization agenda and an even stricter censorship code.^[1] A ban on Indian films and media (which was not always strictly enforced) was lifted in 2006, with the compromise that cinemas in Pakistan must equally share screening time between Indian and Pakistani films.^[2][3]

Hollywood films

• 2006: Hollywood film The Da Vinci Code was banned due protest by the Christian community in Pakistan.^[4]
• 2014: Noah, the Hollywood film was banned due to the portrayal of Prophet Noah by an Actor.^[5]

Indian Punjabi films

• 2016: Ambarsariya was banned in Pakistan due to direct references to Indian intelligence agency RAW inside the movie.^[6]

Bollywood films

• 2010: Lahore was banned as censor board objected to some dialogues and scenes of film.^[7]
• 2010: Tere Bin Laden, a comedy film on Osama bin Laden-lookalike was banned in Pakistan fearing the title could be misconstrued by Islamist extremists as reason for attack.^[8][9]
• 2011: The Dirty Picture was banned by authorities.^[10] However, it was later cleared for release only a week after the Indian premiere.^[11]
• 2011: Delhi Belly was not allowed to be screened by the censor board.^[12]
• 2012: Khiladi 786 was renamed as Khiladi for release^[13] but promos and ads of the film were banned in Pakistan.^[14]
• 2012: Ek Tha Tiger was banned because ISI agent role was depicted by Katrina Kaif's character.^[15]
• 2012: Agent Vinod was banned as it was against ISI spy agency.^[16][17]
• 2013: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a film based on life of athlete Milkha Singh was banned in Pakistan.^[18]
• 2013: Raanjhanaa Banned because the film portrays an image of a Muslim girl (played by Sonam Kapoor) falling in love with a Hindu man and having an affair with him.^[19]
• 2014: Haider was banned as it depicts Kashmir insurgency, a sensitive issue in country.^[20]
• 2015: Baby, a Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar and based on Terrorism in India was banned in Pakistan.^[21]
• 2015: Bangistan, a film about two suicide bombers was banned by the Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors.^[22]
• 2015: Phantom was demanded to be banned by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa.^[23] Phantom is about 26/11 attacks based on book Mumbai Avengers by Hussain Zaidi.^[24] Lahore High Court banned movie on 20 August 2015^[25] as federal government wanted petition by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to be dismissed due to its uselessness and the government doesn't wanted to be involved unnecessarily because no one in Pakistan asked for NOC to screen the film.^[26][27] LHC judge Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan asked the government that what it could do to stop the movie CDs from being sold in market after ban.^[28]
• 2015: Calendar Girls was banned by Pakistan due to objection in one of the dialogue in the film.^[29][30]
• 2016: Neerja was banned by Pakistan for allegedly showing the country in bad light, a fact denied by Sonam Kapoor, who portrays slain flight attendant Neerja Bhanot in the film.^[31]

References

1. "Pakistan restricts screening of films from India". LA Times.
2. Nyay Bhushan. "Pakistani High Court Bans Screening of Indian Films, TV Shows". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
3. "Pakistan petition seeking ban on Bollywood films withdrawn". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
4. "Pakistan bans Da Vinci Code film".
5. "4. Noah".
6. "Indian Punjabi film banned in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
7. "Bollywood's 'Lahore' banned in Pakistan".
8. "'Tere Bin Laden,' Indian Film With Osama Lookalike, Banned In Pakistan". The Huffington Post.
9. "Pakistan bans India Osama Bin Laden comedy". BBC.
10. "THE DIRTY BALAN STARRER "THE DIRTY PICTURE" BANNED BY PAKISTAN!". playtv.com.pk.
11. "The Dirty Picture cleared for release in Pakistan - NDTV Movies". NDTVMovies.com. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
12. "'Delhi Belly' denied public exhibition license in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
13. "Khiladi 786 renamed Khiladi for release in Pakistan".
14. "Akshay Kumar's Khiladi 786 promos banned by Pakistan Censor Board".
15. "No Tiger for Pakistan this Eid". http://tribune.com.pk/. External link in |publisher= (help)
16. "ISI Chief Pasha on why Agent Vinod was banned in Pakistan: How dare they show ISI as the good guys?".
17. "Agent Vinod banned from Pakistani cinemas".
18. "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag banned in Pakistan".
19. "Pakistan Film Censor Board has banned "Raanjhanaa"". The Times of India. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
20. "India's Haider might not see the light of day in Pakistan".
21. "Bollywood 'shocked' over Pakistan's ban on 'Baby'".
22. Mahmood, Rafay (6 August 2015). "Bangistan gets a ‘complete ban’ by central censor board". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
23. "Controversial: Government issued notice over screening of ‘anti-Pakistan’ film". The Express Tribune. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
24. IANS (11 August 2015). "No surprise if 'Phantom' gets banned in Pakistan: Saif Ali Khan". english. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
25. "'Anti-Pakistan movie': LHC bans screening of Indian film Phantom". The Express Tribune. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
26. "Accepting Hafiz Saeed’s plea, LHC bans Phantom in Pakistan". Daily Pakistan Global. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
27. "LHC stops screening of Saif’s ‘Phantom’ in Pakistan on Saeed’s plea". STAFF REPORT. 20 August 2015.
28. "Phantom banned in Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed wins yet again : Bollywood, News". India Today. 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
29. banned, Bollywood ‘Calendar Girls’ (24 September 2015). "Bollywood ‘Calendar Girls’ banned in Pakistan". The News Tribe. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
30. Dedhia, Sonil (24 September 2015). "Pakistan’s Ministry of Culture refuses No Objection Certificate to Calendar Girls". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
31. Desk, Entertainment (25 February 2016). "Sonam Kapoor simply can't get over 'Neerja' ban in Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 19 April 2016.