Dawn Images

Anushka Sharma's horror film Pari has been banned from releasing in Pakistan.

Mobashir Hasan, Chairman Central Board of Film Censors Islamabad, confirmed the news to Images and sent a statement which read that Pari "flouts various sections of Code of Censorship for Films" and has therefore been banned. The reasons are:

1) The film contains numerous scenes of black magic with Quranic verses and Hindu manters being recited together.

2) The members of the CBFC are unanimously of the opinion that the said film is unsuitable for public exhibition as it contradicts the existing rules and codes.

3) The film has been unanimously declared unfit for public exhibition first by a panel of CBFC and then by a full board which was convened on filing of an appeal by the distributor against the decision of the panel.

A source close to the development also told Images. "The film [Pari] was initially passed for screening by the Sindh and Punjab Censorboards with an adult certificate, but after the Islamabad CBFC banned the film, the decision has now been reversed."

Prior to the Islamabad CBFC's decision, the Sindh and Punjab Boards passed the film with the following cuts and revision to the film.

1) Shot exposing/Image of sexual relations between a Jinn (Ifrat) and girl is erased.

2) Professor's recitation of verses in the film are erased.

3) The dialogue: Meri kokh main beej dalay ga is erased.

However, the Islamabad CBFC found the above content in Pari highly problematic and banned it altogether.

Following the decision, Nueplex cinemas, which was set to screen the film this weekend, took to Facebook to apologise to their audience and offered to refund the tickets sold.