PESHAWAR: Minister for Information and broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has announced the restoration of the National Entertainment Awards for the revival of the film, drama and music sector.
The minister announced the allocation of more than Rs250 million for best artists from next year. Addressing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony on the National entertainment Award, he said there is need of hard work to revive the film industry. “We have weakened all the mediums through which we could tell the story of Pakistan to the world,” he said.
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He said that first of all the government is restoring the National Award for Film, Drama and Music. Next year, 22 awards will be given to the best artists for which more than Rs250 million have been allocated for this purpose. Referring to the film policy, he said, “We have completed a new film policy under which taxes have been levied on foreign content and local content is being encouraged.”
He said that a film division is being formed in PTV and at present two films are in the process of completion. “A film on Zaheer-ud-Din Babar is being made together with Uzbekistan while a film on the life of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is being made in Pakistan.” Fawad Chaudhry claimed that these are big budget films of international standard. “Along with this, a film on the life of Tipu Sultan is being produced by a private company in collaboration with government.”
Referring to the steps taken to rehabilitate Pakistan’s cinemas, the minister said, “Special attention is being paid to cinemas, offering them concession in electricity bills.” He said that he had requested the NCOC to open the cinemas after the significant decline in Covid-19. Fawad Chaudhry said that for the first time entertainment channels have been included in the government’s advertising policy so that they can use more funds on quality entertainment.