After Total Dhamaal makers refuse release in Pakistan, petition in Lahore HC seeks ban on Indian films

A petition in the Lahore High Court seeks ban on trade, exhibition and selling of Indian films.

Even as Bollywood takes a strong stand against terrorism and puts a blacket ban on Pakistani artists and refused to release the latest release - Total Dhamaall - a petition in The Lahore High Court has sought a ban on Indian films in the country. In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF jawans, producers’ association announced a blanket ban on Pakistani artists in the industry Ajay Devgn and his team, too, announced that Total Dhamaal will not release in Pakistan on February 22.

Ajay Devgan had annonced earlier that producers of Total Dhamaal have decided to not release the film in Pakistan. (IANS)

Sheikh Muhammad Latif filed a petition pleading through his counsel that the Import Policy Order 2016 announced by the federal government had banned import of all Indian films and other content, Dawn news reported on Friday.

However, Latif stated, then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif through a notification of the Ministry of Information on January 31, 2017, announced that display of all international movies including Indian films in Pakistan would continue under the garb of revival of Pakistani film and cinema industry.

He pointed out that after the Pulwama attack on February 14, the All Indian Cine Workers officially announced a total ban on Pakistani actors working in the Indian film industry and also banned songs sung by Pakistani singers.

The petitioner pleaded that the Supreme Court in a recent judgment ordered the government to take strict action against airing of Indian content on television channels. He asked the Lahore High Court to set aside the impugned January 2017 notification, for being unlawful and direct the government to impose a complete ban on exhibition of Indian films and other content.

Indian artists including singers Rekha Bhardwaj, Harshdeep Kaur, lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Shabana Azmi have cancelled their Pakistan trips owing to the deadly terror attack in Pulwama.