PESHAWAR, Oct 15: The success of religio-political parties in the Frontier province has alarmed the movie theatre owners in the city, as many of them are involved in exhibiting films many groups considered obscene, sources told Dawn on Tuesday.
“The election results have added to our fears because these religious groups are strictly opposed to the screening of movies. If they form the government, our business will definitely suffer,” a manager of a cinema,which is notorious for showing obscene movies, apprehended.
According to him, they paid taxes to the government and it was the duty of the government to protect cinema houses from the saboteurs.
Except for a few cinema houses, most are involved in showing X-rated movies to attract viewers and make quick profits. Some of these cinema houses are owned by an influential Peshawar-based political family against whom the Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam workers and leaders protest every now and then.
During the recent electioneering, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s candidates exploited this issue to the core to seek votes.
Over the years, these cinema houses have become a source of embarrassment for the people. The cinemas have often been blamed for showing films which are not in line with the Pakhtoon culture and traditions.
“We never showed X-rated movies. We show the films which are duly approved by the censor board,” said a manager of an another cinema. According to him, they paid taxes to the government and provided healthy entertainment to the people.
“We are not against films which are clean and in line with the laws. But we would not allow cinemas to show obscene films,” said a MMA MNA who was elected from Peshawar city.
He said time had come for religious parties to translate their words into action and take steps for the establishment of true Islamic culture. The people, he said, had voted for the religious parties to purge the society of the unIslamic practices and there was a great responsibility on the elected people to strive for the enforcement of Shariat in the country.
Talking to Dawn, an official of the Censor Board said the board members screen every Pushto film and delete the objectionable scenes after which films are handed over to the producers. The cinema-owners, he added, include vulgar songs and scenes at a later stage to attract the viewers.
He said educated people do not watch such movies and the bulk of the viewers of such movies came from labour class and young people who work in hotels, shops or do small-time jobs.