ISLAMABAD: The Senate standing committee on culture highlighted issues relating to the budget allocated to culture and its revival in the country on Thursday.
However, the meeting started on a sour note with chairperson of the committee, Nilofer Bakhtiar, expressing strong disapproval for the “non-serious” attitude towards the committee. She noted that Chairman Federal Bureau of Revenue, Secretary FBR and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance were absent, and termed it an “insult.”
“They better start taking this committee more seriously,” Bakhtiar said.
A representative of FBR said, “FBR does not acknowledge Pakistan’s film industry under the FBR Act and will only do so if approached through proper channels.” Responding to that, Nilofer Bakhtiar said the government had declared this sector as an industry in 1992 and the status was revised in 2008.
Another contention was brought up in the form of confusion over funds allocated by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Recently, Rs50 million was announced to revive the film industry at PTV’s annual award ceremony by the prime minister. The Minister of Culture Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani had not been present at the event and even expressed his displeasure for “not being invited.”
Later, however, the culture ministry and PTV said they were unclear as to which authority was supposed to receive the announced award.
“Rs50 million are not even enough to buy the right quality equipment, how will it revive the entire dying film industry?” Jilani said.
The standing committee and the Ministry of Culture in the past had requested funds for high tech cameras along with other accessories needed for better quality production. Nadeem Mandviwalla, who represented cinema, told the committee that Pakistan needed digital technology to revive cinema in the country. Mandviwalla said improved digital technology was now being used by countries “that took cinema seriously.”
The standing committee said it had already forwarded repeated requests to facilitate the industry, and a list of items from the stakeholders was also forwarded to chairman FBR. The committee asked the Aftab Jilani to get through to Bait ulMal for financial support for these artists.
Members said that the government needed to intervene and provide incentives to younger, fresh talent to further promote the film culture.
Furthermore, the standing committee was advised by the culture ministry to withdraw Pakistan’s participation at festivals such as Saarc film awards. Such events only prove counterproductive as Pakistan is barely making any good films and at a platform as such, the country will be dominated by the Indian film industry, the ministry felt.
The committee also highlighted the lack of opportunities for students of Mass Communication.
A representative from HEC said, “We have scholarship programs for Masters and PHD programmes, but not a single applicant.”
Presently there are 19 colleges and universities offering degrees in Mass Communication and only seven are offering short course and diplomas in film making.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2010.
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