Have mercy on us, ban Indian films: Pakistani film industry

The first press conference of the Central Convening Committee of the Pakistan Film Industry was held on Tuesday, September 20, 2011. The meeting was held at Evernew Studios, Multan Road, under the central chairman Anwar Ali Waraich. At the conference, all associated with the film industry were present, including directors, producers, actors, music directors, circulators, studio owners, writers, camera men, junior artists, technicians etc. The meeting called for a complete ban on Indian films in Pakistan cinema houses, as this was causing hindrance to their own films from being screened.
“Our agenda is to have the government put a complete ban on Indian films being screened in cinemas, because we don’t have the chance to display our own films, and besides this, these films promote vulgarity,” stated Waraich in blatant words. “This display of Indian films is the underhanded collaboration of the Government and many cinema owners who have fake papers and documents allowing them to screen these films, while it is unlawful to screen any film in Pakistan which is shot in India.”
Waraich said that the cinema owners produced fake papers which said that the films screened were shot in Dubai when in fact they were shot in India. “Some members of the Ministry of Commerce are being bribed in order to make this happen, while it is an open secret that the Central Board of Revenue is an expert at taking bribes.” Meanwhile he complained that for Pakistani films, the cinema owners did not even have a written record and had verbal agreements only which could even change at the last minute. “This is a form of blackmail to avoid paying taxes,” said Waraich.
Present at the conference were actors including Shaan, Moammar Rana, Meera, Saima, Tabinda while others were also present including Syed Noor, Jamshed Azhar, Sangeeta, Parvez Rana, Hasan Askari, Tariq Butt, Fayaz Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Mana, Ijaz Kamran, Shokat Zaman and Aslam Dar. Reema, who was in Nepal at the time, sent her support for the conference via telephone. The Central Convening Committee for the Pakistan Film Industry has been formed since Monday, with this issue being on the top of their agenda. It is expected to represent all the industry members, and its head office will be in Lahore, while its bureau offices will be in Karachi and Peshawar.