Images

Indian movies may soon return to Pakistani screens

Indian movies may soon return to Pakistani screens

Screening of Indian films in local cinemas was blocked in October last year following escalating tensions with India.
Updated 18 Jan, 2017

The government is expected to shortly allow screening of Indian movies in local cinemas as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday constituted a committee headed by Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb to look into the matter.

The screening of Indian movies in Pakistani cinemas was blocked in October last year following escalation of tensions with India over the latter’s unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control. The ban was imposed by the Film Exhibitors Association of Pakistan.

Other members of the committee are Adviser to the Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui, the commerce secretary and an intelligence officer. The terms of references of the committee were not mentioned in the official notification.

Pakistan had included the Indian movies in the list of banned items in the last decade under its import policy order. As per the procedures adopted over the years, the commerce ministry, under para-19 of the import policy order, issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) at the request of the information ministry for import of Indian movies.

The information ministry, in consultation with the commerce ministry, has prepared a procedure for allowing import of two to three Indian movies per month through NOCs for their screening in Pakistani cinemas.

Under the para-19, the power to condone the contravention in the import policy order was vested in the federal government. However, this power of the federal government was earlier used by the commerce ministry for issuing NOCs for import of Indian movies.

In the light of an August 2016 Supreme Court order, the commerce ministry has made an amendment to para-19 of the import policy order substituting the word “federal government” with “commerce minister with the approval of prime minister”.

As per the amendment, now the prime minister can allow the import of Indian movies.

Following the Uri attack and heightened tensions in India-held Kashmir, Pakistani actors were threatened and unofficially barred from working in Bollywood films. This was followed by a ‘ban’ by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority on Indian TV channels and entertainment programmes aired in Pakistan and cinema owners deciding not to screen Bollywood films.

The unilateral trade liberalisation in goods and services, after resumption of the composite dialogue in 2004, benefited India, whereas Pakistan’s exports stagnated.


Originally published in Dawn January 17th, 2017

Comments

PASHTUN_KHAN Jan 17, 2017 01:24pm
fantastic news... whilst the poor do not have running water, health care ,schools and hospitals, whilst the widows and orphans are being used and abused whilst the corrupt show no mercy to the people and the oppressor shows no mercy to the oppressed then what wonderful news that an Alien culture that perpetuates indecency and is responsible for a rose tinted life to aspire whilst the reality is poverty and pain is being re-introduced. congratulations to all concerned.
Recommend (0)
Iqbal aswani Jan 17, 2017 01:26pm
A sad moment for national pride.
Recommend (0)
Meerar Jan 17, 2017 01:58pm
@ Pashtun_Khan - alien culture! we were one country once! Promote love and peace and not hatred my brother across the border!
Recommend (0)
sameer Jan 17, 2017 02:01pm
Wow, Now Pakistani can also watch movie and be entertained.
Recommend (0)
dilshad Jan 17, 2017 02:03pm
Good news... There should be no boundries for art and entertainment.
Recommend (0)
ali Jan 17, 2017 02:04pm
@Iqbal aswani what national pride .it is your need .
Recommend (0)
Riz Jan 17, 2017 02:39pm
Sad News :(
Recommend (0)
Rahul Jan 17, 2017 02:56pm
I must say with full honesty, Mahira looks stunning in Raees songs!!!!....
Recommend (0)
Apple Fanboy Jan 17, 2017 03:08pm
Hilarious!! what was the point of the whole exercise!!
Recommend (0)
amar Jan 17, 2017 03:21pm
i can't wait watching Raess movie in Lahore.
Recommend (0)
gary Jan 17, 2017 03:35pm
@Iqbal aswani When OBL was caught in your backyard, what national pride are you talking about?
Recommend (0)
Sohan Jan 17, 2017 03:40pm
The Turkish dramas/movies are good but they do not taste the same for Pakistan audience. The fact was, is and will remain that India and Pakistan are originally the same people. Let no one try to change that.
Recommend (0)
ebad Jan 17, 2017 03:51pm
Sad to hear that , we should uphold our pride against the foreign culture. Its already a menace for their society. on what intellect are we opting to re allow it ..
Recommend (0)
N Junaid Jan 17, 2017 03:57pm
Highly recommended to watch: Border(1997), LOC Kargil (2003), Lakshaya (2004) and many more.................. do watch. with love..................
Recommend (0)
Genghis Khan Jan 17, 2017 04:21pm
Good decision. Excellent films of Khans, released recently, are awaited eagerly.
Recommend (0)
mohammed Mirza Jan 17, 2017 04:43pm
Finally the ban has been lifted.This will make the cinemas more busy
Recommend (0)
Genghis Khan Jan 17, 2017 04:59pm
Await "Dangal. " Excellent film.
Recommend (0)
ndS Jan 17, 2017 05:50pm
@Genghis Khan Raees movies is directed by Rahul Dholakia and Dangal movie is directed by Nitesh Tiwari. There are many fathers of bollywood,
Recommend (0)
Dipak singham Jan 17, 2017 05:52pm
In this span period of BAN times you all missed some awesome movies.
Recommend (0)
Ashok Jan 17, 2017 06:11pm
@PASHTUN_KHAN alien culture! Very funny. You must be a ignorant.
Recommend (0)
Adnan 2 Jan 17, 2017 06:13pm
Very sad news.
Recommend (0)
Awesome Lyrics Jan 17, 2017 06:13pm
@PASHTUN_KHAN Buddy no body is forcing you to watch the movies! Are they?
Recommend (0)
Jigar Jan 17, 2017 06:26pm
Good news for India.
Recommend (0)
sardar Jan 17, 2017 06:42pm
They don't like you .. Stay away from them
Recommend (0)
Atticus from India Jan 17, 2017 06:45pm
I don't understand the Pakistani citizens who oppose Indian movies. They should simply not watch them. But they can't dictate the same to others. Indian movies are shown in Pakistan only because there are people queuing up to watch them.
Recommend (0)
msd Jan 17, 2017 06:58pm
A sad news!
Recommend (0)
Ehsan Jan 17, 2017 07:07pm
Are Pakistani movies being released in India as well??
Recommend (0)
Ahsan gul Jan 17, 2017 07:13pm
Pakistan unilaterally must not allow Indian movies to be played in theaters. This issue requires a reciprocal approach on the Indian side also. Will India show Pakistani movies on their screens? Think about it.
Recommend (0)
Reddy Jan 17, 2017 07:15pm
@Iqbal aswani National pride should be success and love not banning and hate.
Recommend (0)
Sympathiser Jan 17, 2017 07:18pm
@N Junaid well said
Recommend (0)
raghunath Jan 17, 2017 07:19pm
watch Tamil movie too, add more flavors do enjoy
Recommend (0)
Shahid Jan 17, 2017 07:20pm
Hypocrisy is at height.
Recommend (0)
Dawn Jan 17, 2017 07:22pm
NO.
Recommend (0)
saleem Jan 17, 2017 07:33pm
No, please don't. We have enough entertainment in our lives as it is. We would rather have a more serious nation with real goals and spend 'leisure' time in doing something productive like nation building, helping society or making self a better being!
Recommend (0)
AJ Jan 17, 2017 07:37pm
@Iqbal aswani Totally agree.
Recommend (0)
Amin Jan 17, 2017 07:44pm
@saleem I hope you not kidding!!!
Recommend (0)
kdp Jan 17, 2017 07:49pm
@PASHTUN_KHAN People need some escape and entertainment when they remain in situation that you have described.
Recommend (0)
kdp Jan 17, 2017 07:50pm
@saleem Why do you waste your time reading and commenting on such article instead of nation building!!
Recommend (0)
N_Saq Jan 17, 2017 07:50pm
This is a smart move. Pak should do what is in her best interest instead of following tit fir tat stupidity, as Pak is not in a position to hurt it's own interests.
Recommend (0)
rudraiah rajasekhar Jan 17, 2017 07:57pm
@Ahsan gul Simple economics. In Pakistan Indian movies are essential for generating revenue where as in India the impact of Pakistani movies are negligible.
Recommend (0)
PASHTUN_KHAN Jan 17, 2017 08:06pm
@kdp and that comment exactly is the reason why people do not advance. i remember seeing a news item about the lack of facilities in an area in Karachi. A man there told the reporter that God has decided we are born in poverty but is is a sin that we stay poor. He wanted to better himself but was prevented by the corrupt officials in connivance with the criminal element. Do you want the person to live his life as a Bollywood dream?
Recommend (0)
saleem Jan 17, 2017 08:10pm
@Amin Not kidding at all brother Amin. Our nation is in a serious deficit of people making effective change and using their free time in something productive. Just imagine, if all of us, just for 1 hour a day went out and did something for our city, people, society - just to help. What would we achieve, cleaner cities, more educated population, more civil right, more civil justice, better roads, better living conditions for others. It doesn't matter what project, just one thing to better ourselves and others around us. True nation building. Get us away from this time wasting and addictive habits!
Recommend (0)
Atticus from India Jan 17, 2017 08:42pm
@Ehsan there is no ban on pak movies in India. Pak producers need to contract distributors and compete with Indian and Hollywood movies for shows. A good product will sell in India, irrespective of country of origin.
Recommend (0)
Thoroughthinker Jan 17, 2017 09:25pm
It is anti-patriotism even to utter the word Indian under the current state of hate created by the cruel entity called India.
Recommend (0)
Ayush Jan 17, 2017 11:49pm
@Ahsan gul nobody will see them as there are plenty of better movies available to screen.
Recommend (0)
Raid Jan 17, 2017 11:58pm
@PASHTUN_KHAN At u said?
Recommend (0)
Sana Jan 18, 2017 06:54am
@PASHTUN_KHAN it is a break from poverty it is a break from difficult life and only indian movies have that power
Recommend (0)
adil Jan 18, 2017 09:53am
You guys missed Dangal, at least in the cinemas.....
Recommend (0)
Mazhar Zubairi Jan 18, 2017 12:11pm
It will be a shame . We should never allow In dian movies. They have an Indian who is our enemy agenda to destroy us morally, socially, financially and become subservient to Hindus. It will be a great dis-service to the people of Pakistan.
Recommend (0)
Bhola Bhala Jan 18, 2017 12:26pm
@IQBAL ASWANI, Are you suggesting Pakistanis to watch Chinese movies from now on?
Recommend (0)
m siva kumar Jan 18, 2017 01:29pm
Nice. The Pakistani Films, dubbed into Hindi and other important Indian languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Kashmiri etc. ,shall also be shown in India and Pakistani and Indian actors shall be freely allowed to act in all movies of both Pakistan and India by granting of H1B1 Visas especially to them and other cultural ambassadors of arts and music on both sides ! It's possible. Both the nations and governments shall allow this. Long live Pak-India !
Recommend (0)
Asif Jan 18, 2017 02:35pm
About time. Too bired with local movies
Recommend (0)
IqBal Jan 18, 2017 04:15pm
We should screen Chinese movies instead, many movies have sub titles and English dubbing.We should also learn mandarin and be prepared to officially join as one of the province of China.
Recommend (0)
Kasim Jan 18, 2017 06:22pm
@IqBal I absolutely agree .
Recommend (0)
Superstar Jan 19, 2017 07:00pm
We will only release hindi movies if you allow us to release Kannada Tamil and Malyalam movies. By the way they are all 100 times better than pakistani movies when it comes to quality
Recommend (0)
rudraiah rajasekhar Jan 20, 2017 10:41am
@IqBal It is force feeding and won't work. Ours is similar culture and it is much easier to relate where as Chinese is totally alien culture. The experimentation with Turkish movies has failed for the same reason.
Recommend (0)
Sana Jan 24, 2017 04:43am
@IqBal you have a great sense of humor
Recommend (0)
Sana Jan 24, 2017 04:43am
@Bhola Bhala Iqbal was being sarcastic in a very funny way
Recommend (0)
Sana Jan 24, 2017 04:44am
@Mazhar Zubairi Mazar looks like Pakisatanis are really missing Indian movies It's good to see they have good taste
Recommend (0)
Sana Jan 24, 2017 04:46am
@saleem really Saleem you are getting way too serious maybe its time to watch an Indian movie with your friends!!!
Recommend (0)