ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Tuesday lifted ban on import and screening of Indian films keeping in view the interests of local industry.
A notification issued here said that the federal government is pleased to continue existing open policy to display all international movies, including Indian film, at the Pakistani cinemas and is pleased to take the decision for revival of the Pakistan film industry.
Earlier on last Sunday, State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb had issued a statement saying: “The government has decided to maintain the present policy regarding the import of Indian cinematograph films.”
A fatal attack by militants on an Indian army base in Kashmir in September triggered deadly border clashes between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals, bringing cultural ties to a halt.
The notification further says that an importer shall submit a request to Information and Broadcasting Division for the import of 35mm Indian film (name and cast of the film).
The Information and Broadcasting Division shall retain a copy and forward the request to the Ministry of Commerce for issuance of an importer licences under the import policy 2016.
It also says that for the import of an Indian film DCP (digital drive, CD), the importer will submit a request (include the name and cast of the film) to the information and broadcasting division, which will be disposed of at the information and broadcasting division level.
The importer will submit the following original document to the relevant censor board for the purpose of public exhibition of a movie in cinema houses that include (i) foreign supplier certificate attested by their chambers of commerce or registered association for lawfully holding valid rights for the film for the territory of Pakistan specifying cast, credit and country of origin (supplier’s country) (ii) agreement of purchase of valid rights of the films (iii) and affidavit by local importer (distributor) stating that the film has been downloaded via internet or a customs receipt based on either 35mm or multimedia drive/digital drive/DCP/CD , the notification said. It further said that the cinema houses will only exhibit a movie after it is approved by relevant censor boards.
