LAHORE: The demand for extending protection to the nascent film production industry in Pakistan was made at a meeting of film producers here today [Oct 21].

Mr W.Z. Ahmed, addressing the meeting, invited attention of the Pakistan Government and the film-goers that the interests of the distributors of Bharati pictures in Pakistan were entirely distinct from those of the actual producers. While conceding that the distributors were essential for the industry, Mr W.Z. Ahmed warned people against the unrestricted import of Bharati films in Pakistan because it would adversely affect the indigenous film industry.

He refuted the claim that Pakistani producers could not feed their cinemas in Pakistan because they produced a small number, therefore, the imports were necessary. He quoted the instance of Soviet Russia where, he said, only 45 pictures were produced annually to feed about 24,000 cinema houses all over the country. He, however, did not demand the complete elimination of Bharati films from the Pakistan market but called for a reciprocal treatment so that Pakistan-made pictures could also be exhibited in Bharat. —

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025