Film producers, cinema owners agree on a 50:50 formula. DESIGN: JAMAL KHURSHID
The Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed the petition against exhibition of Indian films in Pakistan after lawyers from both sides said they had come to an agreement.
The lawyers told the court that the Film Producers Association and Cinema Owners Association had reached an agreement under which 50 per cent Pakistani cinemas would exhibit only local films. They said the professionals associated with the national film industry would benefit from the income generated from exhibition of local films.
They also said that both parties (cinema owners and film producers) would take steps against illegal exhibition of Indian films.
The petitioner, Mubashar Luqman, a private television show host, had told the court that he hoped the issue of smuggled Indian films would be resolved in term of the agreement reached between cinema owners and film producers.
He told the court that he wanted to withdraw the petition. He said he would file a fresh petition against exhibition of Indian soap operas, advertisements, stage shows, game shows and other Indian programmes in Pakistan.
Justice Muhammad Khalid Mahmood Khan recorded the statements and disposed of the petitions as withdrawn.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2013.
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You have a point mate. Its funny. Its like two theives have reached a formula how to share the bounty and the court is saying, fine you can do a out of court settlement.
@Raj-USA, Stopping Smuggling is the job of law enforcement agencies. Courts only decide on the matters reffered to them.
@Usman: Agreed. You have a point. Still cannot understand how the agreement reached between two other parties (cinema owners and film producers) to which the plaintiff is not even a party would be the ground for the Lahore High Court to dismiss the complaint of the plaintiff. If the crime is "smuggling" the courts should take cognizance of the crime, even without a complaint from the plaintiff.
@Raj-USA, Iam not a lawyer but i guess it depends wether the petition was filed in criminal court or civil court. If it was a civil petition the plaintiff and defendent can reach an out of court settlement. On the face of it it seems to be a civil petition as it was filed by a Tv anchor. Criminal suits are filedb by the state. Its the same everywhere in the world, Dont start blaming Pakitan with getting your facts straight.
This is harsh and bitter reality that most of the Pakistani cinemas are running their businesses on the releasing of Indian movies because Pakistani typical and stereotyped films are unable to satisfy the films' watchers and to meet the Indian movies Pakistani film producers and directors will have to make international standard films like India and just two Pakistani films 1-Waar and 2-Mein Shahid Afridi are not good enough to coerce the films' watchers to Pakistani cinemas.Good step taken by Lahore High Court in this regard.....
"The petitioner, Mubashar Luqman, a private television show host, had told the court that he hoped the issue of smuggled Indian films would be resolved in term of the agreement reached between cinema owners and film producers."
Pakistan is a strange country. The issue of smuggled films, which is essentially breaking the laws of the country (if there indeed any such law exists) can be settled by two parties in an out of the court settlement.