The
Pakistan
Film
Producers
Association
(PFPA)
has
demanded
for
a
complete
ban
on
the
release
of
Indian
films
in
the
country.
Chaudhry
Ejaz
Kamran,
a
senior
official
in
the
PFPA,
said
when
Pakistani
films
are
not
screened
in
India,
why
should
they
screen
Indian
films
in
Pakistan.
"We
have
to
think
seriously
about
this
because
though
our
distributors
and
exhibitors
make
money
from
screening
Indian
films
but
in
the
long
run
it
is
hurting
the
growth
of
our
industry," Kamran
told
PTI.
The
demand
for
a
complete
ban
on
the
release
of
Indian
films
comes
at
a
time
when
in
recent
months,
a
number
of
Indian
films
have
been
barred
from
screening
in
Pakistani
cinema
houses
due
to
different
reasons.
The
films
banned
from
release
in
Pakistan
include
Padman,
Veere
Di
Wedding,
Mulk
and
Raazi,
among
others.
Kamran
said
the
PFPA
has
sent
a
letter
to
Prime
Minister
Imran
Khan,
asking
him
to
issue
necessary
directives
for
a
final
decision
in
this
matter.
He
said
the
association
believes
that,
for
the
sake
of
their
local
film
industry,
the
government
should
impose
the
ban.
"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."
He
said
the
recent
Pakistani
releases
on
Eid
have
done
a
good
business
because
cinema
owners
gave
them
proper
slots
for
screenings.
"We
have
struggled
for
the
welfare
of
our
local
film
industry
and
this
is
why
we
decided
to
contact
Imran
Khan.
We
are
hopeful
that
he
will
listen
to
us
and
impose
the
ban,"
Kamran
said.
A
petition
for
a
ban
against
Indian
films
has
also
been
submitted
to
the
Lahore
High
Court.
Reacting
to
the
PFPA's
move,
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
backward
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.
"Such
a
ban
will
discourage
investors
and
disturb
the
business,"
he
warned.
A
senior
member
of
the
Pakistan
Film
Exhibitors
Association
said
an
appropriate
solution
would
be
to
give
priority
to
local
films,
if
they
are
good
enough,
instead
of
banning
Indian
films.