PESHAWAR, Sept 25: The NWFP government on Monday decided to close all cinema houses in the provincial metropolis to uphold the sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan.

Although cinema-owners expressed unhappiness over the decision, they said they would comply with the government’s order.

The government claimed in an official handout that owners of cinema houses had agreed to the proposal to keep their business closed.

However, the meeting held at the Civil Secretariat here on Monday said that the government had forced them to accept the decision.

“We were forced to close down cinema houses,” a cinema owner told Dawn requesting anonymity.

A few days ago, Shabab-i-Milli, youth wing of the Jamaat-i-Islami, had warned cinema owners to close their businesses during Ramazan otherwise they would be forced to do it.

This is for the first time during the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government in the Frontier province that cinema houses have been closed during the holy month of Ramazan.

Senior Minister Sirajul Haq, who chaired the meeting, made it clear that the MMA government had to ensure religious values in the society and fulfil aspirations of the people in this regard.

The meeting was attended by NWFP Minister for Religious Affairs Amanullah Haqqani, Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Fazl-e-Rabbani advocate, MNA Sabir Hussain, Capital City Police Officer Habib-ur-Rehman and representatives of cinema houses.

The senior minister said that the voluntary closure of cinema houses in the provincial metropolis would make it easy for cinema owners in the rest of the province to follow suit and act accordingly.

On the request of cinema houses’ representatives, the minister said, he had directed the Cantonment Board and other departments concerned to exempt one month taxes on theatres in the city.

“Only the owners of cinemas do not earn as we have several daily-wagers both inside as well as outside the theatre who earn a livelihood for their families,” said a cinema owner. He wanted to know from the government as to what these daily-wagers would do during the holy month.

He said that cinema owners during the meeting suggested that the government should compensate not only the owners but also employees of the cinema houses for closure of the business for a month. But the government turned a deaf ears to their request.