National News

ISLAMABAD, Jan 28 (APP): 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.