Karachi: The Sindh High Court rejected the petition against the release of the movie “Joyland” as inadmissible.
According to Leading News, in the written judgment of the High Court, it was said that the petitioner stated that the film would encourage immoral activities, while the petitioner did not point out any legal flaw in the certification process of the film.
The petitioner failed to state as to which provision of the Constitution the release of the film violated, the petitioner relied only on Article 227 but failed to prove the violation of that too.
The judgment states that the petitioner did not even directly challenge the certification of the film. Strict and critical aspects of social or cultural values are not necessarily antithetical to the spirit of Islam.
In the written verdict, the court said that there was no insult to Islam, holy verses or any content against any religious place or personality in the movie ‘Joyland’. The film does not contain any material that violates any law.
The film has been passed through the censor stage where the release is allowed with certification after the content is checked. It is not the job of the court to make a moral judgment and stop the filmmaker’s freedom of speech and expression. Article 19 of the Constitution gives every citizen the right to freedom of expression.
The verdict further states that our society is not so weak that issues like prostitution can be torn apart. Transgenders are equal citizens of Pakistan in all respects and their lives, their struggles deserve equal space and recognition.
