Phantom banned in Pak after Hafiz appeal

New Delhi/Lahore: A Pakistani court banned the release of Bollywood movie "Phantom" in the country on a plea filed by JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed against it alleging that the film, set on post-26/11 attacks, contains "filthy propaganda" against him and his outfit.

Lahore High Court judge Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan issued the order to ban the release of the Saif Ali Khan-starrer film in the theaters in Pakistan after hearing the arguments of Saeed's counsel and the government law officer. Before issuing a short-order on the film, which was scheduled to release on August 28, the judge observed that Indian and other movies are easily available after their release and asked the government what it could do to stop it from being available in the market if a movie is banned. In the petition filed in the High Court on August 8, Saeed's advocate A K Dogar alleged that "there is a direct threat to the life of the petitioner (Saeed) and his associates emanating from the content of the trailer of the film."