SHC grants injunction for making defamatory comments on Legend of Maula Jatt

Karachi: Sindh High Court on Friday restrained the copyright owner of Punjabi film Maula Jatt from making any audio or video statement that may be defamatory to filmmaker of upcoming film “The legends of Maula Jatt” till further orders.

The interim order came on lawsuit of Bilal Lashari and others who filed suit for injunction against defamatory statements by the filmmaker of late 70 era Punabji film Maula Jatt.

Plaintiff Bilal Lashari and others submitted that they have produced film The legend of Maula Jatt however the former Punjabi filmmaker of Maula Jatt, who claimed to be copyright owner of the film has challenged their film before intellectual property tribunal at Lahore.

Their counsel Behzad Haider submitted that the litigation with regard to copyright of the film was pending before the court however there was no restraining order has been issued by the Lahore High Court against the plaintiffs as they in compliance of the intellectual property tribunal amended the name and title of the film.

He submitted that copyright of the film was infact by the script writer of the earlier film who has also joined hands with the plaintiff in writing the current film. The counsel submitted that plaintiffs are aggrieved by the conduct of the defendants who claimed to be copyright owner of Maula Jatt, as they were making defamatory statements about the plaintiff and their current film.

He submitted that dispute if any is pending is with regard of copyright of the film claimed by the defendants however it does not permit them using such language and attributes defamation to the plaintiff.

The court after preliminary hearing of the lawsuit issued notices to the defendants for May 31 and in meantime restrained the defendants from making recording or circulating any statement that may be defamatory to the plaintiff and their upcoming film The legends of Maula Jatt.