Rauf Klasra is a well-known journalist who has worked with the mainstream newspapers and channels of Pakistan. Currently he is working with ARY. ARY had an open discussion on the recent controversy regarding the film Phantom in which Hamza Ali Abbasi, Hafiz Saeed and Rauf Klasra were invited to talk about the issue. Rauf Klasra completely negated the idea of banning films. He said addressing Hamza Ali Abbasi and all the others who wanted the film banned because it was against Pakistan, “Some people have limited patriotism by their own definitions. Anyone who goes out of this circle which they have created he or she is termed as a traitor, agent of RAW and not a patriot. We have made Pakistan a terrified society in which people’s religion and culture is in danger whenever they do something even a little wrong. People do not live like this in any other part of the world.”
He also went on to say, “we get fatwas on daily basis, things are getting banned on daily basis. Take for example youtube which was banned in Pakistan, it isn’t even banned in Saudi Arabia; the place where Islam started but our Islam is in danger.”
He also said that films do not get banned anywhere else in the world like they get banned in Pakistan. According to him, “Indian films were banned in Pakistan for so many years, which Oscar winning movies did we make in that period? These filmmakers should compete with Indian films, the Pakistani filmmakers do not want to compete. These filmmakers and actors should be thankful that Indian films are being shown in cinemas because that gives them a chance to make better films and compete with them. Banning things is not the solution to the problem.”
He also said that Zee Zindagi is showing Pakistani dramas in India in which they have given Pakistani drama industry a chance to show their culture. He also said, “Don’t force us to watch Pakistani films by banning Indian films but try to compete with Indian films!”
Agha Ali supported everything that Rauf Klasra said by giving this status update:
