ISLAMABAD (AP) 鈥 Pakistan's prime minister has ordered a review of the ban on the country鈥檚 Oscar entry, the movie 鈥淛oyland,鈥 days after the measure was imposed, one of his advisers said.
The movie, which features a love story between a married man and a transgender woman, is Pakistan鈥檚 entry for next year鈥檚 Academy Awards and was a prizewinner at this year鈥檚 Cannes Film Festival.
But the film has caused controversy in Muslim-majority Pakistan and state censors last week banned its showings at movie theaters, reversing a previous all-clear for release.
According to a tweet late on Monday from Salman Sufi, an adviser to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, a high-level committee is being set up to assess 鈥淛oyland鈥 and review the ban.
Transgender people are considered outcasts by many in Pakistan, despite some progress with a law that protects their rights and a landmark Supreme Court ruling designating them as a third gender,
鈥淭he committee will assess the complaints as well as merits to decide on its release in Pakistan,鈥 Sufi tweeted. He could not immediately be contacted for more details.
The movie's director, Saim Sadiq, called the ban 鈥渦nconstitutional and illegal.鈥
鈥淛oyland" was scheduled for release in Pakistan on Friday.
