Sir: The Centre Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided against releasing the movie Haider in Pakistan because of its “controversial topic and propagandist nature”. In other words, it is based on Kashmir, which happens to be a sensitive issue and, therefore, “against the ideology of Pakistan”. So, does this mean that movies such as Bang Bang, Dhoom 3 or even Operation 021, released in Pakistan, were compatible with the sacrosanct doctrines of our country? Many viewers did not find anything wrong with the subject matter of the movie and instead praised it for depicting the ghastly plight of the Kashmiri people, mostly at the hands of the Indian army. However, the CBFC added that movies were assessed by a panel of professional reviewers, “keeping in mind factors that a layman cannot understand” and, therefore, can be tempted to find abusive. This can be interpreted to mean that the CBFC considers Pakistanis to be a vulnerable and naïve people who need protection from their own opinions, thoughts and ideas. Fortunately, we have such censoring institutions that do all the thinking for us. In the end, it is important to note that censorship achieves the exact opposite of what it aims for. Now, every Pakistani in the world will want to watch a movie that was earlier swiftly overshadowed by the behemoth success of the action packed Bang, Bang. MOBEEN SHAH Via Email