LAHORE: A civil court on Friday refused to stay the exhibition of the last episode of drama serial Mere Paas Tum Ho.

The petitioner, Maham Jamshed, had filed a petition through her counsel Majid Chaudhry stating that women as a whole had been ridiculed and shown as a disrespected segment of society in the drama. The counsel argued before the court that the Constitution did not allow character assassination of any segment of society.

He pointed out that the last episode of the drama will be shown in cinemas across the country on Jan 25 instead of TV screens. He asked the court to order the respondents to stop the exhibition of the drama’s last episode in cinemas or on television screens for being contrary to the basic provisions of the Constitution.

During Friday’s hearing, advocates Mian Irfan Akram and Waqas Ahmad Aziz appeared on behalf of the drama’s production team and the television channel. They argued that the drama was made to discourage “honour” killings and for the reformation of society, in fact.

The counsel also questioned the jurisdiction of a civil court to take a petition filed as public interest litigation. They said that the petitioner failed to avail the first remedy available in the law.

In her decision, Civil Judge Naila Ayub observed that all episodes of the drama had been broadcast on television and now its last episode was going to be aired in cinemas on Jan 25 (today) and the censor board had also issued a clearance certificate to it.

Therefore, she noted, prima facie no good case of interim injunction was made out at this stage since there was no element, which could show that the drama was inappropriate for society.

The judge dismissed the application and sought arguments from both sides on the main petition by Feb 17. A counsel also filed power of attorney on behalf of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2020