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]

• 2006: Hollywood film The Da Vinci Code was banned due protest by the Christian community in Pakistan.^[4]
• 2010: Lahore was banned as censor board objected to some dialogues and scenes of film.^[5]
• 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.^[6][7]
• 2011: The Dirty Picture was banned by authorities.^[8] However, it was later cleared for release only a week after the Indian premiere.^[9]
• 2011: Delhi Belly was not allowed to be screened by the censor board.^[10]
• 2012: Khiladi 786 was renamed as Khiladi for release^[11] but promos and ads of the film were banned in Pakistan.^[12]
• 2012: Ek Tha Tiger was banned because ISI agent role was depicted by Katrina Kaif's character.^[13]
• 2012: Agent Vinod was banned as it was against ISI spy agency.^[14][15]
• 2013: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a film based on life of athlete Milkha Singh was banned in Pakistan.^[16]
• 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.^[17]
• 2014: Noah, the Hollywood film was banned due to the portrayal of Prophet Noah by an Actor.^[18]
• 2014: Haider was banned as it depicts Kashmir insurgency, a sensitive issue in country.^[19]
• 2015: Baby, a Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar and based on Terrorism in India was banned in Pakistan.^[20]
• 2015: Bangistan, a film about two suicide bombers was banned by the Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors.^[21]
• 2015: Phantom was demanded to be banned by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawa.^[22] Phantom is about 26/11 attacks based on book Mumbai Avengers by Hussain Zaidi.^[23] Lahore High Court banned movie on 20 August 2015^[24] as federal government wanted petition by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to be dismissed due to its uselessness and the government doesnt wanted to be involved unnecessarily because no one in Pakistan asked for NOC to screen the film.^[25][26] 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.^[27]
• 2015: Calendar Girls was banned by Pakistan due to objection in one of the dialogue in the film.^[28][29]

References