Pathaan in Karachi? Illegal screening event cancelled

The illegal screening event of Pathaan has been cancelled in Karachi!

The reason for the cancellation is not confirmed yet whether it was amid backlash or due to the Sindh Board of Film’s notice of the screening.

Or it was probably a scam!

The screening of the Bollywood film was organised by “Firework Events”, a Facebook page.

It is interesting to note that “Firework Events” turns out to be a ghost company, as after searching the name on social media one could only find a UK-based company sharing its plans of lighting up the skies at King Charles’ coronation in England.

As reported a public screening of the Indian film was being organized at Plot No. 34C, First Floor, Khayaban Shahbaz on Feb 4, which now stands cancelled.

The page claimed that all tickets were sold for February 4, which were set at Rs 900 price.

Interestingly one of the two Facebook posts selling the tickets, one could only find a message saying that the page does not exist anymore, while the other one was still very much there and attracting visitors.

Upon enquiring about the event on the given mentioned number some interesting facts were revealed!

“There is some construction happening at the place we hoped to screen the movie on Sunday so we don’t know as yet,” a female voice said.

“Sunday screenings were being shifted to Friday (Feb 3). And the venue on Friday would be the Ittehad Commercial Area,” a message was relayed later, for which the female operator also shared the location.

When Aaj News contacted the given number, a woman, who did not reveal her name, responded that earlier they were organising the screening of the film, but an NGO and some people had an issue due to which the program was cancelled.

“We were doing the screening at our home,” the person said. “Arrangements were being made for a few families and some outsiders. We also spoke to the censor board several times in this regard and they had no objection to screening it inside the house.”

The Sindh Board of Film Censors (SBFC) also took notice of the illegal screening.

Chairman SBFC Khalid Bin Shaheen said, ‘Section 4 (10) of Sindh Motion Pictures Act 2011 regulates public or private exhibition of film and no any can exhibit film without certification by Board’.

“It is, therefore, an appropriate exhibition of the film ‘Pathaan’ that should immediately be cancelled,” he added.

“If anyone violates the aforementioned Act, he will be punished under section 18(1) which reads without lawful authority, any film which has not been certified by the board cannot be exhibited, altered, or tempered, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine which may Rs 100,000 or with both. In case of a continuing offence, a further fine may extend to Rs 10,000 for each day during which the offence continues,” Chairman SBFC notified.

It is pertinent to mention here that the association of film exhibitors had decided to not release any Indian films back in February 2019.

Since then no Indian film has officially been released in Pakistan,

The decision was taken against the backdrop of the violation of Pakistani airspace by Indian jets.