Pakistan imposes a temporary ban on screening of Indian films during Eid to promote the local film industry
In an attempt to promote Pakistans’s local film industry, ministry of information and broadcasting has has imposed a temporary ban on the exhibition and screening of Indian films during next month’s Eid holidays.
According to a notification issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting, the exhibition and screening of Indian and foreign films will be banned from two days before the Eid to until two weeks after the holidays.
The notification explicitly asks all foreign film importers to not purchase any Indian films during the upcoming Eidul Fitr and Eidul Azha. As per the government’s instructions, only local releases are to be screened during both the festivals.
Pakistan has imposed a temporary ban on the screenings of Indian films in the country during Eid festival to encourage local film industry. The ban will remain in force from 2 days before Eid to 2 weeks after Eid holidays pic.twitter.com/sQ6ADDhBgl
— Tele-Visual Infolink (@TVI_PK) May 25, 2018
According to the notice, all cinemas across Pakistan are to observe the moratorium starting from two days before Eidul Fitr up until two weeks after. The Punjab Film Censor Board and Sindh Film Censor Board have also been told the same.
An official in the ministry said the step had been taken on the requests by the Pakistani film exhibitors, distributors and production houses.
Another official from the Pakistan Film Exhibitors’ Association confirmed they had received the notification. “The notification says that the temporary ban is being imposed in order to promote local movies on the festivals, a time when usual than larger audience is attracted towards cinemas,” he said.
The notification wwould also be applicable for the Eid-ul-Adha holidays which will fall around late August or September.
A number of local films will be released this Eid-ul-Fitr including Azaadi, Wajood and 7 Din Mohabbat In. Hamza Ali Abbasi-starrer Parwaaz Hai Junoon which was also slated to release alongside these films but now would be released on Eid-ul-Adha.