The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced a temporary ban on screening Indian movies in Pakistani cinemas during Eid ul Azha. This ban also includes Indian Punjabi films that have already passed censorship.
The official notice has been sent to all cinema houses across the country. The ban will begin two days before Eid and stay in place for two weeks after the holiday. This means that no Indian movies will be shown in cinemas during this period.
The main reason behind this move is to support and promote the local film industry. By giving more screen time to Pakistani films during the festive season, the government hopes to boost viewership and encourage people to watch local productions.
Eid holidays are usually a peak time for moviegoers, and cinemas earn a large part of their yearly income during this season. In the past, many Pakistani films had to compete with high-budget Indian movies released around the same time. The temporary ban is aimed at giving local films a fair chance at the box office without facing tough competition from foreign content.
This isn’t the first time such a step has been taken. In recent years, similar bans were placed during major religious holidays to support Pakistani cinema.
Local filmmakers and producers have welcomed the decision, hoping it will increase the popularity of homegrown movies. However, cinema owners may face a mixed response from audiences who enjoy Bollywood content.
