PM Focusses On Entertainment Industry's Revival: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jan, 2017 ) : Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb Saturday said the government has decided to maintain the present policy regarding the import of Indian cinematograph films.

The minister, in a statement here, said the decision has been taken after reviewing the benefits Pakistani cinema trade can derive from the exhibition of Indian films and in order to develop, strengthen and enhance the indigenous productions.

She said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had, however, constituted a committee to review the challenges and issues being confronted by the local Pakistani film industry. The committee invited the stakeholders including the leading and prominent artists, producers, exhibitors and the distributors to get a broader view of the situation, she added.

The close examination of historical and empirical data including the trends of the industry since 1965 till date, it is evident that, the inclusion of all foreign content, including Indian film content in local cinemas, have a multiplier impact on the commerce and development of the Pakistani film trade and industry as a whole, the minister emphasised.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the investment plans of the local film industry, especially of the cinema owners and film exhibitors for producing local films, were also reviewed. She said the insight gained from an exhaustive review concluded that the Pakistani film industry has been revived and strengthened after the resumption of import of Indian cinematographic films into the country in 2007.

To support the local film industry by including other foreign content into the pool of Pakistani cinema, a policy is being reviewed to promote the soft image of the country as the local film trade is at the verge of taking off after witnessing strides in the last 6 years before the resumption of import of Indian films in 2007, she said.

She said that the Committee also reviewed the SoPs of the Central board of Film Censors and decided that the present censorship mechanism should further be reviewed to have oversight on the foreign films to be exhibited in the local cinema houses.

The committee also discussed the of sale and purchase of the uncensored and pirated CDs, DVDs of Foreign films in the local market. Minister said that the Prime Minister has also given approval to introduce polices that would incentives the local production and broadcast industry in Pakistan.

A complete review of the regional and global best practices and models of the production and broadcast industry is being conducted to replicate them in Pakistan. For the purpose, the Ministry of IB&NH has planned a consultative meeting/sessions of the stake holders with the production and broadcast industry in the month of Feb 2017, Marriyum Aurangzeb concluded.

The committee, headed by the Minister of State, comprises Advisor to the Prime Minister Iran Siddiqui, Secretary Commerce, Chairman CBFC, represenative from ISI and President Pakistan Films Exhibitors Association.