SHC dismisses petition seeking ban on animated film David

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has rejected a petition seeking a ban on the animated biblical musical film David, which the petitioner claimed could offend the religious sentiments of Muslims.

The petition was filed by a citizen, Abdul Razzaq, who named the federal government, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the film censor board and others as respondents.

The bench dismissed it after the initial hearing, terming the plea “misconceived.”

In its order, the court said that the petitioner had objected to the upcoming release of an animated film titled David, which he said was based on the life of a prophet recognised by followers of major monotheistic religions.

The objection was raised after viewing the film’s trailer, with the claim that its depiction conflicted with Islamic teachings and could hurt religious sentiments.

The bench referred to a similar petition filed in 2022 against the film Joyland, which had also sought a ban on moral grounds. That petition had been dismissed, and the court cited the earlier ruling.

The court reiterated that once a film is cleared by censor authorities, courts should not interfere based on individual moral views. It stressed that freedom of expression must be protected and that unnecessary censorship restricts creativity and growth in society.