Capital gets its first drive-in cinema

Will have capacity for 200 cars

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) in association with a private mobile cellular company has set up the capital's first drive-in cinema at F-9 park in Islamabad.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed inaugurated the entertainment facility equipped with state-ofthe-art technology. The drive-in cinema will facilitate the citizens to watch their favourite films with their families in the comfort of their cars by purchasing a Rs1,000 ticket.

Keeping in view the convenience of the citizens, the film will be screened on weekends from 5:30pm to 9:30pm and from 9:30pm to 12.30pm on weekdays. With the closure of indoor movie theaters due to covid19, the film industry has made an obvious entry in the federal capital as two Hollywood movies were screened at the firstever drive-in cinema, set up in the Fatima Jinnah Park on Friday evening.

Screening of two movies 'War for the Planet of Apes' and 'Spider-Man Far From Home' made the moviegoers euphoric, who were forced to watch the movies on small screens, owing to the socialgathering restrictions of contagion. "I was eagerly waiting for the launching of first-ever drive in cinema of Islamabad, and finally it has come to the end as right now I am watching the movie on a big screen while sitting in the car," Sayed Hasnain, a jubilant moviegoer said at the F-9 Park. There was big difference between watching a movie on big screen and small one, Husnain. Hareer Irfan, another moviegoer, said such facilities would provide riskfree recreation.

Safest recreational opportunities become indispensable in times of the coronavirus as it had badly affected people's mental health, the head of psychiatry at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Rizwan Taj said. CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed said the cinema will provide recreational opportunity to residents of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad under the safest environment. WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT BY APP