Govt decides to clear Joyland for release in Pakistan: Salman Sufi.

The government has decided to clear film Joyland for release after a second review by a committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, head of the Prime Minister's Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi tweeted Wednesday night.

'Freedom of speech is [a] fundamental right and should be nourished within ambits of the law,' he said.

On Tuesday, PM Shehbaz formed an eight-member committee to look into complaints that the film was 'against social and moral norms' and recommend follow-up action. The committee comprised of the minister for political affairs and economic affairs and law and justice chairperson, minister for information and broadcasting, minister for communications, minister for board of investment, minister for information technology and telecommunications, adviser to the PM on Gilgit-Baltistan, PTA chairman and PEMRA chairman.

The committee concluded that certain scenes needed to be edited out of the film. It has decided to clear the film for release, however, the government has not yet withdrawn the notification of its 'uncertified' status. It needs to do so in order for the film to be cleared.

The committee was formed after massive outcry on social media at Joyland's censorship certificate being withdrawn. The film was passed by all censor boards in the country but fell into trouble after...