Central Board of Film Censors

Central Board of Film Censors
Punjab Film Censor Board
Sindh Board of Film Censors
Formation	1963; 61 years ago
Purpose	Film Certification
Headquarters	Central: Islamabad; Punjab: Lahore; Sindh: Karachi
Region served	Central: Islamabad; Rawalpindi; Cantonments; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Balochistan; ; Punjab: Punjab; Sindh: Sindh
Parent organisation	Central: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Punjab: Government of Punjab; Sindh: Government of Sindh

The Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC; Urdu: مرکزی ہیئت برائے ضوابطِ فلم) is a film censorship board and rating system body under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for the Government of Pakistan. Since the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan its jurisdiction has been limited to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Cantonments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan; with separate censor boards for Punjab (Punjab Film Censor Board, PFCB) and Sindh (Sindh Board of Film Censors, SBFC) headquartered in Lahore and Karachi respectively.^[1]^[2] Though the CBFC maintains an unofficial dominant position over the latter boards.^[2]

These boards are tasked with regulating the public screening of films under the provisions of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979.

Function

The Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979 focuses upon a broad policy framework and administrative procedures for the certification of films for public screening.^[3] The film censorship code covers wide aspects of "morals and ethnics" which lays down the guiding principles for cinema in Pakistan. Strict policy has been adopted to ensure that no scene or dialogue in a film is passed which is considered "derogatory to the accepted moral standards of the society". Certifications is refused if, in the opinion of the board, the film or any part thereof:

ridicules, disparages or attacks Islam or any religious sect, caste and creed.
questions the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan or hurts national sentiments.
undermines public order, decency or morality, which includes vulgar dialogues, songs, or gestures.
glorifies vice or crime or amounts to incitement of a criminal offense.

Any film refused certification may appeal within thirty days of the date of refusal.

Certification

CBFC

U: Any film with U certification is fit for unrestricted public screening and without the need for parental guidance. These films contain little violence, no sexual scenes and no abusive language.
F: Family (akin to U above)
PG: Akin to U/A
A: Any film with A certification is restricted to adults or needs parental guidance for viewing. These films contain significant violence, sexual scenes and abusive language and can include controversial adult themes considered unsuitable for young viewers.

SBFC

U: Universal, approved for general audiences
PG: Parental Guidance
PG-13: Parents Cautioned
PG-15: Suitable for 15 years and older
18+: For Adults only

Source: Jawaid, Mohammad Kamran (4 November 2018). "Spotlight: A House Divided". Dawn.

Chairperson

#	Name	From	To
1	Anwar Hussain	1963	1972
2	Aslam Siddiqui	1972	1973
3	Jalalud Din	1973	1973
4	Syed Abid Ali	1973	1974
5	M M H Peerzada	1974	1976
6	Syed Sajjad Haider Jillani	1976	1977
7	Anwar Abbas Ansari	1977	1982
8	Safdar Mahmood	1982	1986
9	Abdur Rasheed	1986	1988
10	Syed Sajjad Haider Jillani	1988	1994
11	Jamal Khan Jogezai	1994	1996
12	Malik Yasrab	1996	1998
13	Malik Mohammad Rafique	1998	2001
14	Abbas Khan	2001	2003
15	Ziauddin	2003	2006
16	Ejaz Illahi Paracha	2006	2006
17	Azfar Shafquat	2006	2008
18	Malik Shahnawaz Noon	2008	2012
19	Muhammad Ashraf Gondal	2012	2013
20	Raja Mustafa Hyder	2013	2014
21	Mobashir Hasan	2014	2018
22	Danyal Gilani	2018	2020
23	M. Arshad Munir	2020	2022
24	Muhammad Tahir Hassan	2022	Present

References

^ ^a ^b Jawaid, Mohammad Kamran (4 November 2018). "Spotlight: A House Divided". Dawn. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b "To Screen or Not to Screen". Newsline. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
^ "THE MOTION PICTURES ORDINANCE, 1979" (PDF). Wipo.int. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

External links

[dawn-1] Jawaid, Mohammad Kamran (4 November 2018). "Spotlight: A House Divided". Dawn. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

[newsl-2] "To Screen or Not to Screen". Newsline. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

[3] "THE MOTION PICTURES ORDINANCE, 1979" (PDF). Wipo.int. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

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