Govt asked to ban Indian films, serials on Pak cable TV

[mig-29]

Tue, Aug 11 10:29 PM

Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Aug 11 (PTI) The government in Pakistan was flayed by the opposition today for allowing Indian films and serials to be beamed on television and cable, saying they helped to promote Indian culture and spoilt the youth. The issue was raised in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament by opposition PML-Q member Bushra Rehman through a call attention notice.

The screening of such films amounted to the promotion of Indian culture by the privately owned channels and cable networks, she said. Pakistani youth are being spoilt by such programming and this is causing "grave concern" among the people, Rehman said.

Responding to the criticism, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the government could not intervene in the matter as the previous government had permitted cable operators to telecast foreign channels and foreign films and serials. The permission granted to cable operators later became part of the official policy and the operators have said they will approach courts if the government acts against them for telecasting foreign films or serials, Kaira said.

"We do not want to take action against the media channels as the government. But if the House will empower us, we will definitely take action to stop the media from telecasting foreign films," Kaira suggested.

Govt asked to ban Indian films, serials on Pak cable TV - Yahoo! India News

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Pakistani film and entertainment industry is almost destroyed.
Cinema of Pakistan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SATISH]

This is just stupid politics. Nothing else. This must be taken with a pinch of salt. What programs do Pakistani Channels air and what kind of movies do Pakistanis make? Zilch. Nothing. If they want to stop these programs then their entertainment industry will go bankrupt.

 

[ajay_ijn]

Pakistanis must be feelin lucky, they won't be forced to watch horror reality shows made in India.

BTW are they allowed to show english movies, serials? do they promote Pakistani culture and didn't sploit the youth?

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Pakistanis must be feelin lucky, they won't be forced to watch horror reality shows made in India.

BTW are they allowed to show english movies, serials? do they promote Pakistani culture and didn't sploit the youth?

No, only indian movies and serial spoil pakistani youth.

 

[Arjak]

Lol.....pakistanis speculate bolly films for nudity and such stuffs,but watch american pie with eyes and pants wide open.....,cant get better than this!!!......the zardari govt is the best saas-bahu serial ever!!!

 

[StarScreen]

The Pakistanis are such hypocrites... many of them criticize Indian media, movies and serials but they all watch it even if they have to resort to pirated stuff. Pirated Hindi movies are sold like hot cakes in Pakistan and there's no denying that. Are the Pakistanis so stupid that they don't know if they are being fed sh!t by the Indians? Who is the government to decide if an individual in Pakistan should watch Hindi movies or not? The government should first curb piracy in Pakistan and then think about banning TV channels that show these movies. That's not all, anti social elements from Pakistan are even spreading pirated copies to other South Asian countries.

Nepalese Love Bollywood CDs from Pakistan
Anurag Sharma, Kathmandu | Apr 26, 2009

It seems that the growing appetite for Bollywood among Nepal's moviebuffs is being fed through pirated films from Pakistan.

From golden oldies to recent Hindi film releases, the pirated music industry in Nepal is thriving with brands from Pakistan such as 'SADAF' is adding to the financial woes of Bollywood, which is already facing huge annual revenue losses due to piracy.

"Hindi films are very popular in Nepal. We buy pirated CDs because it is very cheap and available everywhere and costs only around 10-20 in Indian rupees," says Shanu, a taxi driver who watches movies on his car video player while taking tourists sight seeing.

For those in Nepal it does not matter where they buy their films from, they just want to see Bollywood. Most of them are even unaware that buying a pirated CD is a crime.

"Normally, it takes less than a week for pirated audio and video cassettes to hit the streets. Films of Shahrukh Khan are in huge demand," says owner of a CD shop in Thamel, a hotspot tourist destination.

"Nepali films and folk music are also liked by people but Bollywood rules the entertainment sector. Most of the pirated CDs of Indian films come from Pakistani companies," he adds.

The Indian film industry suffered losses worth Rs 5,000 crore and 571,896 jobs due to piracy, according to the US India Business Council and Ernst & Young 2008 report.

In the beginning of this year, Nepal's police had seized more than 500 CDs of the Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Chandni Chowk to China' in the eastern Nepal town of Biratnagar. The film has been banned by the Himalayan nation for allegedly showing that Gautam Buddha was born in India.

After sensing the huge losses, Nepal Film Development Board (NFDB) recently formed a five-member committee to study the causes hindering the growth of Kollywood - Nepal's film industry.

"Nothing is going to happen. From A-grade to C-grade, Hindi movies are in huge demand and Nepali films cannot replace it with its age-old technology and script. And being a poor country, very few can afford to go to newly-built multiplexes and theatres," says Thapa, a resident of Thamel.

A report by California-based RAND Corporation identified Al-Mansoor and SADAF brands as belonging to underworld groups based in Pakistan.

"These groups gained control of the SADAF Trading Company based in Karachi, which allowed the gang to better organise distribution in Pakistan and more importantly, acquire the infrastructure to manufacture pirated VHS tapes and VCDs for sale across the world," points the US non-profit think tank which works to improve policy and decision making through objective research and analysis.

news.outlookindia.com | Nepalese Love Bollywood CDs from Pakistan

 

[Antimony]

This is just another proof that the Pakitani establishment does not want the pakistani populace to be influenced by India's culture and therefore soft power. this is at a time when we openly allow their cultural products to come in. Pakistani dramas and musicians are welcome in India.

All in all, the pakistnai establishment does not want to run the risk letting good feelings get in way of their anti Indian propaganda