ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday was moved by a lawyer seeking ban on the exhibition of Indian movies in Pakistani cinemas.

Yasir Mehmood Chaudhry Advocate, citing secretary ministry of culture and chairman Film Sensor Board as respondents in his petition, maintained that the Indian government had banned Pakistani movies and television channels but Pakistan was promoting their culture and movies in the country.

Article 2 of the constitution reads that “Islam would be the religion of the state” and the fact that we are importing and promoting the religion and culture of India is unconstitutional, he said.

He prayed to the court to disclose the authority that had permitted exhibition of these movies.

Meanwhile, a divisional bench of the IHC comprising Justice Mohammad Munir Paracha and Justice Syed Qalb-i-Hassan reserved judgment on the petition of JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman about the nomination of two women on reserved seats in the National Assembly.

In his petition, the JUI chief said as per rules for allocation of reserve seats his party’s female candidate was to be nominated on merit instead of PPP’s Farhat Begum and ANP’s Khursheed Begum.

Justice Paracha asked the Attorney General Mohammad Lateef Khosa to tell the court that at which point party position regarding numerical strength in the National Assembly was declared after completion of the election process.

The AG told the court that it was done in the first meeting of the house, adding independent candidates were also directed to join any political party within three days after the election process.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Kamran Murtaza told the court that the AG was affiliated with the PPP so he could not say anything against the party member.