As per reports in Dawn News, the minister has ordered ban on all vulgar and indecent film posters displayed inside or outside theatres. He also warned that if any theatre is found violating the order it will be fined first, after subsequent violation, the theater will be shut down.
The minister took to Twitter to share an official notification. Which read: “It has been observed that indecent signboards within and outside the Cinema Halls and at different places have been displayed throughout the province of Punjab”. It further read: “I would like to request that immediate action may be taken for the removal of such vulgar/indecent film sign boards under Indecent Advertisement Probation Act 1993 and Punjab Motion Picture Ordinance 1979”.
However the terms vulgar and indecent lack a clear definition in the notification.
Chohan had recently vented out his displeasure over contemporary film posters.
Dawn quoted him as saying “Yani yeh wakhri jawani hai jo cinema houses pay ai hui hai, (this is a strange youthfulness that's taken over cinema houses). Is this civilised? That you print out pictures of half naked women and put up huge posters of them? People watch porn for that kind of entertainment."
He had also fired a salvo at stage shows and hitting out at a popular former stage show actress he said: “he would have made her a haji (someone who has completed the religious pilgrimage) if it was in his power”, Dawn reported.
He had reportedly said that not only Indian content, but what Pakistani films and stage shows portray that has led towards the decline of the industry.
The former actress Nargis, who was singled out during Chohan’s speech, had told Geo News that the minister should chose his word wisely and that all citizens are respectable and have the rights to pursue legal action.