KARACHI: Pakistani activists in the UK have urged the Human Rights Watch (HRW) to cancel the screening of documentary Insha’Allah Democracy at the ongoing film festival organised by the international advocacy group in London.

However, according to Dawn.com, the film will be screened as scheduled on Friday and Saturday at BFI Southbank and Barbican Centre.

The documentary, directed by Pakistani filmmaker Mohammad Naqvi, features former president Gen Pervez Musharraf and takes the viewer through the director’s personal journey of voting in the country’s last general elections. The story explores if “democracy is achievable in a country undergoing political and religious upheaval”.

Activists who petitioned the HRW to cancel the film’s screening claim that the film “legitimises and glorifies military dictatorial rules and undermines civilian/parliament supremacy”.

Mr Naqvi responded to these claims in a press release. “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 the activists who tried to have my latest film censored. They were trying to silence me without even having watched the film,” he added.

In its statement, the HRW assured festival attendees that the film, in fact, would “remind people about Musharraf’s abuses and jumpstart a conversation about addressing them”.

Mr Naqvi is planning to bring the film to Pakistan in the summer.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2018