ISLAMABAD: On Saturday, the district administration sealed Centaurus Cineplex and arrested its five employees for violating Ehteram-i-Ramazan Ordinance 1981.

Although the employees have now been released, the cinema administrators said they will apply for reopening of the cinema on Monday, in the court of the district magistrate. Meanwhile, the cinema has refunded the tickets’ fee to its inconvenienced customers.

“We have been assured that the cinema would be allowed to re-operate from Monday,” said Mr Daniel, a senior employee of Cineplex.

Islamabad’s only cinema sealed for screening movies at ‘Iftar time’

“The additional deputy commissioner granted bail to the accused, late on Saturday night. Accordingly, we released the employees,” said Margalla Police Station ASI Anwar Khan.

He said the suspects had been directed to appear before the deputy commissioner’s court on Monday. The Ehteram-i-Ramazan Ordinance 1981 demands all cinemas be closed for three hours, starting at sunset.

It says that the proprietor, manager, servants or other persons in charge of a cinema will be charged under the ordinance, punishable with six months imprisonment and/or a fine of Rs5,000.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2014