PESHAWAR: The Peshawar district administration on Sunday shutdown a cinema house in the city for running “immoral” stage show and violating the Covid-19 SOPs [Standard Operating Procedures].
The team was led by Assistant Commissioner city Dr Ehtesham-ul-Haq who said that the NOC [No objection certificate] of the cinema house has been cancelled while the stage show organiser was also arrested. “The organiser of the cinema house has been arrested, the NOC of the Cinema has been cancelled and further investigation is underway,” Haq told the media.
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Haq said that an “immoral” stage show was underway when the team of the district administration raided the cinema house. The official said that the participants were also found violating the Covid-19 SOPs.
Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner Peshawar, captain retired Khalid Mahmood said that they will keep strong check on cinema houses in the city and no one would be allowed to arrange “immoral” shows. He said that strict legal action will be taken against the arrested organiser of the stage show.
Pashto cinema houses has been criticised by for “vulgarity” and violence-laden films. The producer and cinema owners said that in Peshawar no one visits to watch films without such raucous and “vulgar” dances and Kalashnikov culture. For Pashto cinema owners, such stuff is the only source to attract youth to cinema house. Due such contents, people have lost interest in the traditional cinema as a result the business of the cinemas has come to a standstill. Therefore, most of the cinemas have been being demolished for the construction of shopping malls.
Most cinemas in the province, including Peshawar, have closed due to persistent losses. Until recently, there were 16 cinemas in Peshawar, out of which about ten have been closed for various reasons and replaced by plazas and other buildings. Recenlty, the Capitol Cinema building in Saddar, Peshawar has been demolished.