MULTAN, Sept 20: Most of cinemas in the city have been operating without renewal of their licenses for the last five to 10 years.

Former cinema and theatre contractor Ali Raza Bukhari told APP that most of 10 cinemas operating in the city were screening films without renewal of licenses.

He alleged that the authorities concerned had never asked them to renew their licenses.

Zawar Baloch, contractor of Dawn cinema, said for renewal of licenses they had to get an NoC from building, electric, civil defence and health departments.

Without the NoC, no cinema owner could apply for the renewal of the license, he said, adding in Cinema Autography Rule 1876, the deputy commissioner was an authority for renewal of the license. He said they could only apply for renewal when the four departments submitted their report to the district administration.

Community Development Executive District Officer Asif Ali Farrukh confirmed that most of the cinemas were operating in the city without renewal of licenses.

He said some cinema owners did not know the exact year when they got their licenses renewed last time. He said during a meeting with the cinema owners in August last, eight or nine owners attended the meeting while only five had applied for renewal of their licenses.

Asif said the Cinema Act was revised in 1979 when it was made an ordinance and both the 1876 Cinema Autography Act and 1979 ordinance were in practice. He said the cinema owners had no record of renewal of their licenses with them.—APP