Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979

This 1979 Ordinance sets up Pakistan's film censorship and cinema licensing system. Section 3 lets the Federal Government establish one or more Censor Boards, each covering a defined area, made up of a Chairman and at least five members. Section 4 bans exhibiting any film publicly (with a narrow exception for private home movies) unless the Board has certified it, and Section 5 lets the Board grant unrestricted certification, restricted certification, require cuts before certifying, or refuse certification outright.

Section 6 is the substantive censorship test: a film cannot be certified if it is prejudicial to the glory of Islam, the security or integrity of Pakistan, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or if it amounts to inciting an offence — and the Federal Government can issue a Censorship Code to guide the Board. Section 7 allows a filmmaker to appeal a refusal, restricted rating, or required cuts to the Federal Government within thirty days, with a right to a hearing. Section 8 lets a Board, or a district's Zila Nazim, suspend exhibition of an already-certified film if it is shown in breach of its conditions or is likely to cause a breach of the peace, and Section 9 gives the Federal Government broad revisional power to override the Board's decisions at any stage.

Chapter III separately regulates cinemas themselves: Section 13 requires any place publicly exhibiting films by cinematograph to hold a licence from the Provincial Government (or its delegate), granted only if safety and health precautions are adequate, and the licence can also fix maximum admission ticket prices.

Section 18 sets out penalties: exhibiting an uncertified or tampered film, or otherwise breaching the Ordinance, is punishable with imprisonment up to three years and a fine up to one lac (100,000) rupees, with a further fine up to ten thousand rupees per day for a continuing offence; misusing a cinematograph in breach of licence conditions carries imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to ten thousand rupees, with a further fine up to two thousand rupees per day continuing; and overcharging on admission tickets beyond the fixed maximum is punishable the same way as the licence-misuse offence. A convicted licence-holder can also have their cinema licence revoked. The Ordinance repealed the earlier Cinematograph Act, 1918 and Censorship of Films Act, 1963 (Section 21). Given its age and repeated amendment (the extract shows changes as recent as a 2002 Ordinance updating "Zila Nazim" language), users should confirm current provisions against the latest official text.