March, 23 2005	Wednesday	12 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, March 22: Top film personalities appearing before a Senate standing committee on Tuesday urged the members to partially lift the ban on the Indian movies, allow marketing of Punjabi films to the Indian Punjab, permit import and export of licence-based five movies from India and vice versa on annual basis, strictly implement piracy laws and set up a “movie city” in Lahore suburbs. The committee members were, however, divided over the issue of allowing screening of Indian films in the country as Senator Dr Nighat Agha supported the idea which the cinema owners have been demanding for a long time.

Dr Agha said she had given in writing to the government to allow screening of Indian films in the country to promote a healthy competition.

A representative of the film industry said if the export and import of items like sugar and wheat could be allowed and when bus diplomacy and cricket diplomacy was taking place between India and Pakistan, the ban on screening of Indian films was unjustified.

He demanded that cinema owners be allowed to screen Indian films to save the declining number of cinema houses in the country.

However, Senator Murad Ali Shah emphasised the need for developing the local film industry in line with the methodology adopted by the Iranians. He said the religio-cultural traditions of Pakistan and India were totally different and a cultural invasion of Pakistan should not be allowed.

The members of the committee, including senators Enver Baig, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Dr Nighat Agha and Dr Kauser Firdous questioned the Minister for Youth, Culture and Sports Ajmal Khan and the officials associated with the ministry about the reasons for decline in the Pakistan film industry.

Pointing out lack of training institutions, financial cushion to film-makers and pathetic condition of the studios, Senator Enver Baig asked the minister to dilate on any step taken by the government during the last five years to boost the film industry.

He said the ministry officials had not come up with any suggestions for revival of the industry since the last meeting was held earlier in January.

Senator Firdous said even the minutes of the January 15 meeting had not been provided to the members.

On the occasion, a presentation prepared for Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for exporting a “Soft Image of Pakistan” through “Revival of Film Industry” was also given.

The senators pointed out flaws in the presentation and said concrete suggestions should be incorporated in it.

“If you show this to the prime minister, the minister would lose his job. It is rubbish,” said Senator Baig while asking Masood Ali Khan, adviser to the committee to incorporate concrete suggestions for approval by the prime minister.

He said the presentation by Mr Khan did not include anything which the senators and the people already did not know and specific proposals relating to finances for the industry, provision of infrastructure and other incentives should be pleaded before Mr Aziz.

A representative of the film industry said atleast Rs1 billion should be given initially for revival of the industry.

Chairman of the committee, Zafar Iqbal, asked the adviser of the committee to incorporate the new proposals made by the representatives of the film industry in the presentation. He further invited the stakeholders, the media and all sections of the society to give their suggestions for revival of the industry so that approval of the same could be obtained before the budget.

On the occasion, film director Syed Noor said low quality films were being produced in the country because the industry was operating with defunct technology.

The committee was also informed that a mafia was exporting locally-made nude films to India.

The copies of the made-in-Pakistan X-rated films were also placed at the record of Senate secretariat by the representatives of the film industry for review by the members of the standing committee on culture, sports and tourism.

Usman Pirzada, film director and producer, said 275,000 X-rated movies made in Pakistan had recently been sent to India in one consignment alone including films such as Helpless Buds (Bebus Kalian). He said hundreds of X-rated movies were now being made in the country.

When a member of the committee protested that he had not been given the copies, Senator Zafar Iqbal said the movies were available in the committee record and would be made available to the member.