LAHORE: Pakistani activists in the United Kingdom (UK) started a petition calling for the cancellation of screening of documentary on former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf.
Activists claimed that the documentary Insha’Allah Democracy which is being screened at the Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) Film Festival glorified the former president’s “dictatorial rule”.
Mohammad Ali Naqvi, the director of the documentary, responded to the claims in a press release. He said that film was a satire and the petitioners would have known that if they had seen it.
“Had they seen the film, the petitioners would know that Insha’Allah Democracy is critical of military rule and actually advocates Pakistan’s journey towards democracy,” he said.
“I have come to expect Pakistan’s Film Censor Board to ban my films. They banned my previous film Among The Believers. However, this time it was activists who tried to have my latest film Insha’Allah Democracy censored. They were trying to silence me without even having watched the film,” he added.
Responding to the controversy, HRW said that the film highlighted the abuses of the dictator and intended to start a conversation about him. HRW further said that Musharraf’s answers to Naqvi’s questions could provide an insight into a dictator’s mind.
