Senate body approves screening of ‘Zindagi Tamasha’

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has approved screening of Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha.
In a post on Twitter, PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, who chairs the panel said the Committee unanimously agreed with the censor board’s decision to allow the film to screen.
The film, written by Nirmal Bano, was set to release on January 24, 2020, however it was debarred because of alleged objections raised by some people against it.
In Mar this year, the HR committee had decided that the Council of Islamic Ideology will not review Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha until the senate body reviewed and found any objectionable content.
Also Read: Senate committee to evaluate Zindagi Tamasha on March 16
The Senate Committee had requested a copy of the film to the Central Board of Film Censors.
Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the committee chairman, had said that the committee took note of the film’s ban. He had said he was shocked to hear that the film was cleared twice.
Earlier, during the meeting a Central Board of Film Censors official had told the senator that the film was submitted to them last July for review. The board had given a clearance certificate only a few days later.
He had clarified that leaders of the civil society and Tehreek-e-Labbaik had raised objections to the release of the film on January 16. The TLP had warned of countrywide strike if the film was released.
A few days later the censor boards of Sindh and Punjab had declared they would not allow release of the film.