ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday underlined the need for promoting film, drama, music and culture to effectively present national narrative at the international level.
Addressing a press conference here after signing of a MoU between Ministry of Information, National Arts Council and PTV regarding National Entertainment Awards, he said that political debates do not promote the national narrative as effectively as do the mediums of entertainment.
He said the next National Entertainment Awards would be the largest in the history of the country, under which 22 awards would be given in film, television and music categories and Rs250 million would be allocated for these awards.
The minister said during past few decades, Pakistan’s mediums to tell the story of the country has been weakened.
In 1960s, Pakistan was the third largest film producing country and it was fourth in the world in number of screens, he said, adding unfortunately film, drama and music industry was ruined during the past few decades.
He said the new film policy has been finalised which would give many incentives to the local filmmakers, whereas foreign content would be taxed.
Fawad said the government has proposed to the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) to charge higher tax if a channel is airing foreign dramas so that they should not be cheaper than local ones.
Instead of foreign artists, casting of local ones in advertisement would be encouraged, he added.
Pakistan has beautiful landscapes, he said, announcing one-window system to attract foreign filmmakers to shoot their movies here.
He said a film division has been set up in the Pakistan Television (PTV) which would encourage young filmmakers.
He said the national TV is producing two big budget movies on the lives of Zaheer Uddin Babar and national poet Allama Iqbal with the collaboration of Uzbekistan and Iran, respectively.
A private firm is also making a film on the life of Tipu Sultan, he added.
