The Sindh High Court set aside the majority of the cuts mandated by the Sindh Board of Film Censors for the movie Ghost School. A division bench, including Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed and Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry, ruled that the board's decision could not stand.
Filmmakers initiated the legal challenge against the censor board's decision under Article 199 of the Constitution. The Sindh board had previously required the removal of eight items, including the expressions “biradri ka wadera”, “wadera”, “kameene”, “haram khor”, “manhoos siyasatdan” and “Buraq”.
Additional demands from the board included deleting a child’s abusive remark in a school scene and scenes showing books being burnt and the school set on fire at the film's conclusion. In contrast, the Central Board of Film Censors and the Punjab Board of Film Censors cleared the film for unrestricted public exhibition without any cuts.
The court held that the petition was maintainable and issued an order on 21 August directing the board to reconsider the matter. The judgment stated that "Mere reference to a statutory provision, unconnected to the material said to offend it, is not a reason."
The court further noted, "Needless to say, a remedy that the Government has itself failed to bring into being cannot be pressed as an alternative." The Sindh High Court directed the board to reconsider the film's certification within 10 days and adopt the least restrictive age rating that adequately addresses its concerns.
