THE government recently held talks with Netflix aimed at increasing the global visibility of Pakistani dramas and films. While the ambition to position our creative industry as an export sector is welcome, I believe the conversation is missing an important point: access to a streaming platform alone will not make Pakistani content globally competitive.

A Pakistani filmmaker has rightly pointed out that Pakistani productions often lack the technical standards, such as High Dynamic Range (HDR) workflows, professional colour grading and advanced sound design that global streaming platforms now consider standard requirements.

Beyond technical shortcomings, our storytelling has grown overly reliant on formulaic, family-centred dramas, while international audiences increasingly look for political thrillers, crime dramas and historical narratives that have a wider relevance. Blaming ‘regional politics’ for our limited presence on platforms like Netflix, as some officials have suggested, sounds like a convenient excuse rather than an honest diagnosis of the industry’s actual gaps.

It is high time the government prioritised investment in crucial technical training, production infrastructure and support for original screenwriting alongside its diplomatic outreach to streaming companies.

Indeed, a partnership with streaming platforms can open a door, but genuinely competitive content alone will help us keep international audiences engaged.

Yasmeen Yaseen
Bahawalpur

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2026