PESHAWAR, Dec 19: Cinema owners in the NWFP are struggling to survive as Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (a coalition of religious parties) government pushes ahead with a campaign to remove obscenity — or any hint of obscenity — from the screen.

In Peshawar, almost all theatres obeyed a Wednesday police deadline to take down “vulgar and obscene” advertisements, part of a larger crackdown that includes shuttering movie-houses showing explicit films.

Cinemas took the hint and removed all billboards picturing actresses. Most of the new advertisements simply give the name of the current film offerings or, for a few pushing the envelope, kept up only those posters that showed no women.

From a business perspective, the impact has been devastating.

“Only 60 people came all day,” said Murad, a ticket seller at the Capital cinema. “There were 150 people a day before the ban.”

“We’ve obeyed the orders, but this could force cinema houses to close down in a short span of time,” said Sanobar, a cinema owner.

“The majority of our filmgoers are illiterate and they used to come here after looking at the signboards and posters outside the cinema.”

Shafi Khan, the Capital cinema’s manager, pointed to his empty screening hall: “Look how many people there are.”

“Nobody is coming. The cinema looks just like a house or some other building,” Khan said.

“The entire film and cinema industry could face collapse,” said another cinema owner, Rab Nawaz.

Since coming to power, the NWFP chief minister Akram Khan Durrani has launched a campaign to close down all “pornographic” and unlicensed movie theatres.

Pakistan is full of back-room cinemas run by entrepreneurs trying to skirt the strict rules against sex on screen and banning films from arch-rival neighbour India’s prolific Bollywood movie industry.

Qayum Shahid, owner of the Falaksair cinema, said theatres have already been hit since the advent of cable television.

“If the ban continues it would destroy our business and we’ll have to close down,” he said.

The government has vowed to crack down on other sins as well. Police have been instructed to get tougher on the already illegal possession of alcohol.

Last week, dozens of revellers were rounded up and fined after they attended a party that featured female dancers.—AFP