Govt launching policy to encourage indigenous film production: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD, March 17 (NNI): The National Assembly was informed on Friday that the government is going to launch a policy to encourage indigenous film production in the country.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Corporation Marriyum Aurangzeb told the House during question hour that the present government is focusing to revive the Pakistani film industry to reduce foreign contents.

The Minister of State said there is no official ban on the state-censored and regulated public exhibition of Indian feature films in the cinema houses under the Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979.

She said the existing policy framework of the federal government to all exhibitions of foreign cinematographic films in Pakistani cinemas is consistent to the policy approved by the then Prime Minister in 2007.

She said the Central Board of Film Censors has the power to cut the contents which are against our social norms and national interest.

To a question, Marriyum Aurangzeb said an advertisement is being given soon for appointment of MD PTV.

Replying to a question, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique told the House that the government has taken several steps to upgrade railway tracks including Karachi-Peshawar track under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said the up-gradation and doubling of Main Line (ML-I) of Pakistan Railways from Karachi to Peshawar including Taxila-Havelian section and establishment of dry port near Havelian has been declared as Early Harvest Project under CPEC.

He said the project also includes doubling of track from Shandara to Peshawar Cantt and increasing of speed of where possible. He said the up-gradation of the project is being initiated shortly and expected to be completed in a period of five years.

The Minister said there was no dedicated locomotive for freight services when he took over. He pointed out that now there are 81 dedicated locomotives for freight services.

He said we are importing 55 freight locomotives from the United States, seven of these have already been reached.

The rest will reach in the next three months. He said there will be 150 freight locomotives by the end of tenure of the present government.

Saad Rafique said Pakistan Railways revenue through freight services will be increased to over 14 billion rupees this year that was only about two billion rupees in 2012.

Answering a question, Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary told the House that Liver Transplant facility will be started at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

He said 90 percent machinery for the facility is available and availability of expert surgeons for liver transplantation is in process. He said at present, if a patient cannot afford the treatment of liver transplantation, funds will be provided from Prime Minister's Special Cell set up for this purpose.