Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, stated on Saturday that theatre, cinema, and digital media are the finest platforms for portraying and promoting a country’s image throughout the world.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony of the showing of Pakistani films at Dubai Expo 2020, he noted that in the 1960s, Pakistan was the world’s third-largest film-producing country.
Since the 1970s, Pakistan’s film industry and theatres have gotten little attention, according to the minister. The film sector has been in decline in the past owing to a lack of sufficient care, he said, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration had taken initiatives to revitalize the country’s film and theatre industries.
He said that the government has taken measures to revitalize the film sector by eliminating all film-related taxes.
Taxes on foreign content, he added, had been introduced to stimulate domestic production houses.
He said that a tariff on foreign plays had been established so that Pakistani actors could work in dramas and ads.
In Pakistan, he continued, there are attractive tourism destinations where NOC requirements for filming are also being eased.
Fawad also highlighted the importance of digital media and its importance in promoting Pakistani culture.
Pakistan has been marketing its cinema at Expo 2020 by exhibiting popular films.
Every Friday and Saturday till February 26, 11 Pakistani films will be exhibited at the Pakistan Pavilion. ‘Teefa in Trouble’ was broadcast on the first day as part of the opening ceremony.
Minister of Information Chaudhry Fawad cut the ribbon to open the Pakistan Pavilion to film screenings.
The event was also attended by actors Ali Zafar and Hareem Farooq. A big number of Pakistanis living in the United Arab Emirates attended the inaugural ceremony.
