KARACHI: Exhibition of “horrific, sexy or crime films” to children and adolescents will be prohibited if the Pakistan Parliament passes an unofficial Bill seeking necessary amendments to the Cinematograph Act which was introduced yesterday (Thursday) [Jan 5].

Mr Nur Ahmad introducing the Bill told the Parliament that horrific, sexy and crime films produced “evil effects” on the mind of children and was “the cause” of their moral degradation. Such films taught wrong ways of life to the “future citizens.”

The amending Bill provides for necessary powers to the Film Censor to restrict the exhibition of such films and demands an undertaking from the exhibitor that such films would not be shown to children.

The Censor under the legislation will give a certificate to films which did not come under the above categories. The Censor will also have powers to impose a total ban on the exhibition of “such films”. …

[Meanwhile, according to news agencies in Washington,] the United States will not send military aid to Formosa, President Truman announced today [Jan 5]. Nor would the [US] Government give advice to Chinese forces in Formosa, he added.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2025