Salman's Tiger Zinda Hai won't release in Pak as censor board plays spoilsport

Karachi: Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer spy thriller 'Tiger Zinda Hai will not release in Pakistan after it failed to obtain a clearance from the country's Central Board of Film Censors.

Geo Films, which has the distribution rights for the film in Pakistan, had started publishing the release of the film with the note 'subject to censor clearance', but its release on December 22 is unlikely now.

Geo Films has also sent out an official statement, saying, "Our preferred option was that Tiger Zinda Hai should have been allowed for import, presented to Censor Board, and if any objectionable material was found against the interests of Pakistan / Islam, exhibition of TZH shouldn't have been allowed then. In fact, if there was anything against the national interests of Pakistan in the film, we ourselves wouldn't have sought the exhibition but this could have been done only after preview of the film.Instead, we were verbally advised that Ministry of Information has decided not to issue NOC for import of Tiger Zinda Hai. No reasons assigned. We expect written response either from the Ministry of Information or from Central Board of Film Censors Pakistan tomorrow."

The first part, 'Ek Tha Tiger', was also not cleared for the release in Pakistan.

Sources said the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage has refused to grant a No-Objection Certificate for the film upon CBFC's recommendation.

Pakistan-related scenes are reportedly the basis for the film's non-clearance.

In the spy thriller, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Salman plays the role of a RAW agent who falls in love with Pakistani spy Zoya (Katrina), and together they team up to fight against terrorists.