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Friday March 29, 2024

‘MPs to be part of Pemra Code of Conduct purview’

By Agencies
April 20, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The members of Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Information and Broadcasting Thursday agreed that like judiciary and military representatives, parliamentarians should also be included within the purview of Pemra Code of Conduct. The committee meeting, presided by its chairman Aslam Bodla, was attended by its members, Secretary Information Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera and officials of the Ministry of Information. Earlier, Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb oinformed the committee that the new film and cultural policy would be made part of the Finance Bill 2018. She said that that the policy envisaged a number of incentives for the revival and development of the film industry including; exemption from sales tax on the film making equipment for ten years; establishment of Finance Fund from which loans up to 50 million rupees would be given for the production of films of international standard and construction of cinema houses; establishment of Artists Assistance Fund; setting up of film academy and re-organisation of the Film Directorate. She said that the cinemas having 350 seats for the audience would also be exempted from paying income tax. She said that by ensuring complete implementation of the new film and cultural policy Pakistan could end Indian monopoly on the cinema in the region. Marriyum said that the film makers would be provided unhindered access to the beautiful and scenic places and the foreign film makers opting to shoot 70% of their film in Pakistan and 30% in their own countries would be able to avail tax rebates and other incentives. She told the committee that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had made relentless and dedicated efforts during the last eight months to formulate the first ever film and cultural policy of the country for which the team of the ministry deserved unqualified gratitude.

The minister said that the terrorism during the last 35 years had badly affected the film industry. She said that the cinema houses were converted into shopping plazas and brought under other commercial uses and the playfields of the country also presented a deserted look. Pakistan remained out of screen tourism during the last 35 years and the international community looked at Pakistan through the prism of terrorism, she added.

She said that after 19 years a Pakistan film titled 'Mein Punjab Naheen Jaoon Gi' did record business as against the Indian movies and Pakistani Punjabi films had been a hit.

Marriyum said that Pakistan would participate in the film festivals in Beijing and Shanghai and Pakistani films would be screened at the Chinese cinemas. She said both the countries were also working on a number of joint ventures in the domain of films and culture.

The minister said that Pakistani films and dramas were not shown on the Indian screens and as such there should also be a ban on showing Indian content on the Pakistani screens. She said it was therefore incumbent upon the media to strictly observe the quota specified for the foreign content.