Another claimant to film ownership surfaces

LAHORE: Another claimant to ownership of 1979's historic epic ‘Moula Jutt’ surfaced during a press conference at Lahore Press Club here on Thursday.

This was claimed by Saim Jameel, son of late Ch Mohamed Jameel, the producer of the movie Moula Jutt, along with Ch Ejaz Kamran, Chairman Pakistan Film Distributors Association, and his lawyer in a crowded press conference at the Lahore Press Club.

Saim Jameel, while rejecting the claims of Ch Sawar Bhatti to be the sole producer of the film and the only owner, maintained that there was a registered partnership deed comprising of collective ownership of six people with the ownership rights being with Bahoo Corporation. Saim further claimed that according to that deed Sarwar Bhatti will have 35pc shares, his brother will get 10pc , Ch Jameel will get 25pc shares whereas, Ch Jameel's family got almost 50pc of the shares according to the collective deed mentioned above.

Saim continued to say that his father Ch Jameel was murdered in 1996, and alleged that Sarwar Bhatti made a failed attempt to get Ch Jameel's widow sing the ownership papers. He added that he was only 5years old when his father Ch Jameel was murdered. Saim alleged that Sarwar Bhatti falsely showed that the movie Moula Jutt was his property and paid billions of rupees tax in this regarding.

Saim inquired of Sarwar Bhatti that why he didn't pay them their due share from the income of the movie when he had paid billions of rupees in taxes from the income of the same movie? Saim announced that they will not keep silent now till they get their legal and rightful share.

Saim's lawyer revealed that in a letter issued by Pakistan Film Producers Association, Ch Jameel has been accepted as the producer of many films including Moula Jutt. He revealed that they have moved the Honorable Sindh High court and have not only challenged the Copy Right & Trade Mark of Sarwar Bhatti, but have also made the Intellectual Property Rights Organisation of Pakistan a party that they have fraudulently issued the Copy Right Certificate.

Almas Jawinda Advocate told the media that the all the rights of the Corporations, Trade Marks and Copy Rights, are not individuals but they are collective, but Sawar Bhatti hasn't paid the shares to any of the legal shareholder.

Saima Jameel claimed that according to the present legal documents including income tax returns clearly declares that Ch Jameel as a shareholder.