A petition for a ban against Indian films has also been submitted to Lahore High Court
Lahore: In a move to ape India's blanket ban on Pakistani artists, Pakistan Film Producers Association (PFPA) has demanded a complete ban on the release of Indian films in the country.
A senior official of the association Chaudhry Ejaz Kamran said, "When Pakistani films are not screened in India, why should they screen Indian films in their country? We have to think seriously about this because true our distributors and exhibitors make money from screening Indian films but in the long run it is hurting the growth of our industry."
Recently a number of Indian films have been barred from screening in Pakistani cinema houses such as Padman, Veere Di Wedding, Mulk and Raazi.
The PFPA has sent a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, asking him to issue necessary directives for a final decision in this matter, saying, "If this ban is not imposed, then the local cinema owners will continue to give preference to Indian films which in turn is hurting our industry."
A petition for a ban against Indian films has also been submitted to Lahore High Court.
However, a well-known film distributor and exhibitor who has stakes in digital cineplexes in the country said if Indian films were completely banned it would be a step backwards for the industry. "The truth is Indian films help cinema owners make good revenues and recover costs as well. The last time Indian films were banned the cinema owners suffered big losses and the industry also faltered," he said, adding, "Such a ban will discourage investors and disturb the business."
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.