Film fans: Cinemas to be allowed four shows a day

DCO says he has asked chief minister to waive tax on cinemas for five years.


Our Correspondent December 05, 2012

LAHORE:


Cinemas will be allowed to open for longer hours on weekends and get subsidies on advertising banners, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mengal said in a meeting with cinema representatives here on Tuesday.


Cinemas in the city are currently allowed to hold three shows on weekends. The DCO said that they would be allowed to hold four shows on weekends and written permission in this regard would be issued soon.

The DCO also told the owners that he had recommended to the chief minister that taxes on cinemas be waived for the next five years. He said that the cinemas in the city were finally picking up after a 15-year slump and the government should do all it can to assist them in providing healthy entertainment for families in a safe environment.

The DCO also instructed the advertisements director at the Parks and Horticulture Authority to give a 25 per cent subsidy for promotion of films on steamers and banners.

At the same time, Mengal warned the cinema owners not to display any “vulgar” pictures on billboards or posters to promote films. He also said that they would be sealed if they showed any “vulgar” movies. He did not elaborate on what constituted vulgarity. He also told them to ensure that cinemas were kept clean and the food they served was hygienic. He said cinemagoers must also be provided security.

The cinema owners told the DCO that the government’s decision to allow them to show movies from Hollywood and Bollywood had led to the revival of cinema as a healthy recreational activity. They said that there were only functional 25 cinema houses left in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2012.

COMMENTS (4)

Pakistani in US | 11 years ago | Reply

These custodians of public morality never have an explanation of what these terms like "vulgur", "indian culture", "fahashi" means. In reality it's their personal beliefs of what constitute morality that they try to force on the masses. Which might mean different things to different people. With lack of skilled and visionary leaders/producers in film and television industry, these islamacized folks with no relative qualifications in their resumes are handed over these important positions like peanuts. Film and Television are driving force behind instigating and promoting culture world over, but with people like Mengal and institutions like PEMRA (hub of fundamentalist and politicos) at the helm of media affair in Pakistan, I have really low hopes for our media industry.

Kamran | 11 years ago | Reply

This is great that may renaissance art of cinema in Pakistan

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