Karan Johar’s Dostana Banned in Pakistan

UPDATE:  The ban on Dostana was recently lifted.
See updated news further up on this page.

AMIR MIR; SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2008; (Source:  DNAIndia.com)

Objectionable homosexuality in film is punishable with death across the border

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore high court has banned the screening of Bollywood flick Dostana across Pakistan, saying it has some highly objectionable “gay content”.

A single bench of the high court passed the order on Friday on a writ petition filed by Khuram Khan. The court held that the movie propagates homosexuality, which is not only illegal in Islamic Republic of Pakistan but also considered a crime punishable by whipping, imprisonment, or even death.

The petitioner maintained that Dostana promotes gay marriage which is prohibited in Islam and all other religions. Gay marriage is an atrocious and obscene act, more likely to be performed by someone of unsound nature, the petitioner said. Islam says a Muslim should neither commit obscene acts nor indulge in their propagation, he added. “Allah tells us in the Qur’an that He created everything in pairs.”

The petitioner then argued that Karan Johar’s Dostana highlights the gay theme and the Pakistan Film Censor Board should not allow its screening, as being sought by the film’s distributor in Pakistan.

The Lahore high court subsequently directed the chairman of Pakistan Film Censor Board not to allow screening of the film and furnish the transcript of Dostana before the court at the next hearing of the case.