Central Board of Film Censors (Pakistan)

Background

The Central Board of Film Censors (abbreviated as CBFC) (Urdu: ہیئت برائے ضوابطِ مرکزی فلم) is a film censorship board and rating system body under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for the Government of Pakistan. Since the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan its jurisdiction has been limited to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Cantonments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan; with separate censor boards for Punjab (Punjab Film Censor Board, PFCB) and Sindh (Sindh Board of Film Censors, SBFC) headquartered in Lahore and Karachi respectively. Though the CBFC maintains an unofficial dominant position over the latter boards.

CBFC

• U: Any film with U certification is fit for unrestricted public screening and without the need for parental guidance. These films contain little violence, no sexual scenes and no abusive language.
• F: Family (akin to U above)
• PG: Akin to PG-13
• A: Any film with A certification is restricted to adults or needs parental guidance for viewing. These films contain significant violence, sexual scenes and abusive language and can include controversial adult themes considered unsuitable for young viewers.

SBFC

• U: Universal, approved for general audiences
• PG: Parental Guidance
• PG-13: Parents Cautioned