Lawyers move high court for ban on 'un-Islamic' movie Joyland.

PESHAWAR -- The Peshawar High Court on Monday directed the federal government, regulators, filmmaker and the country's top religious body to respond by Nov 23 to a petition seeking ban on the movie Joyland and removal of its trailers from social media.

A bench consisting of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali issued the directions during a hearing into a petition of lawyers Sara Ali Khan, Mir Mohsinuddin, Kamranul Salam, Zainab Iftikhar and Aneesur Rehman against the movie.

The petitioners made the federal government, law and justice ministry, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Federal Investigation Agency, Council of Islamic Ideology, and the movie's director and producer the respondents.

The bench directed them all to submit their replies separately by the next hearing fixed for Nov 23.

Court seeks response of govt, regulators, filmmaker to petition

The petitioners insisted that Joyland was an un-Islamic and unconstitutional movie and was made to 'insult their religion, family system, bond and domestic life.'

They said the movie had been produced in Pakistan and its story was not only against Islam and cultural norms but also against the other religions, cultures and beliefs.

The petitioners also said Joyland didn't fall in the category of entertainment and instead, it would negatively impact the people, especially youths, and destroy marriages and family institutions by promoting nudity, vulgarity and homosexuality, which was fatal for the entire society, and thus, inviting the extreme displeasure of the Almighty Allah.

They said they had also obtained a fatwa (religious edict) against the movie, also supported LGBT people.

The petitioners also said the trailers and contents of Joyland had been posted on thevideo-sharing website YouTube and various other social media platforms, so the movie should be banned on social media platforms, cinemas, theatres and TV channels.

They said the movie said movie not only violated the constitutional provisions, including Articles 2, 2-A, 19, 30, 31, 35, 37 and 38, but also went...