Punjab govt bans screening of Na Maloom Afraad 2

KARACHI: Na Maloom Afraad 2 landed in hot waters again after Punjab government issued a notification banning the movie in the province, five weeks after its release.

A notification by secretary Punjab Film Censor Board reads the movie screening has been stopped under the “The Punjab Motion Pictures (Amendment) Act 2012 (x of 2013) earlier passed by the Punjab Film Censor Board Lahore.”

Without going into many details, the notification states that decision has been taken “in view of persistent complaints from different quarters.”

Earlier on, the UAE had barred the screening of the movie in the country due to alleged misrepresentation of Arabs. 

The film was barred from screening in the UAE due to alleged misrepresentation of Arabs, but producer Fizza Ali Meerza has maintained that the ban "will not affect [their] way of saying things".

"The decision to ban the movie is quite surprising given that the movie released more than a month back and has earned about Rs420 million," said director Nabeel Qureshi while speaking to Geo News. 

He also said that the notification does not even mention a reason as to why it has been banned in the province. 

Before the release, the censor board had given the movie a go ahead. "How can they take it back?" he asked. 

Qureshi shared on social media, “[this is] The most ridiculous, news i hv heard, #NaMaloomAfraad2 has been banned in punjab by punjab govt after its successful run of 35 days”.

He further said, “Fillm #NaMaloomAfraad2 still runing in karachi & hyderabad, islamabad succesfully #nma2”

The director also questioned the reason for banning the movie, “They banned it for ? Hug ley song ? Or for the arab sheikh ? #NaMaloomAfraad2 dont knw the real reason ! #unban #punjabcensor”

The sequel to the 2014 movie stars Javed Sheikh, Mohsin Abbas Haider, Fahad Mustafa, Urwa Hocane and Hania Aamir.