We here at Daily Times strongly urge that the Pakistan Film Producers Association (PFPA)should reconsider its stance on the banning of Indian films in Pakistan. Such a blanket ban is likely to hurt Pakistani cinemas given that the local film industry hardly produces enough content to keep them occupied throughout the year. Furthermore, it will disrupt the cross-border cultural exchange that exists between India and Pakistan amid mounting tensions. Instead of trying to escape competition, the PFPA should instead focus on improving the quality of Pakistani films and find avenues for fundraising and investment in the local industry. Already Pakistani cinema has shown signs of life in the recent years and while this is encouraging, competition with other films especially from India is good for the quality of our films. Most importantly, Pakistanis have always watched Indian films even when they were banned for decades. Such ill thought out solutions will only deter audiences from visiting cinema houses and ultimately many jobs could be at risk. PFPA should also work towards producing films that would appeal to an international audience. There is also the need to move beyond focusing on cinema screenings for making a profit and move into the modern video streaming era. According to a report by Sandvine (a California based networking equipment company)entitled ‘The Global Internet Phenomena’ published earlier this month, Netflix now accounts for a whopping 15 percent of the total downstream volume of Internet traffic worldwide. Furthermore, filmmakers in India – whom the PFPA wants to compete with – have already launched a number of Netflix originals that have received applause from critics and audiences alike. Of course this would require relaxing some of this country’s absurd censorship practices. These restrictions continue to undermine our chances of competing in international cinemas and online productions. Just because films are made locally does not necessarily mean they have to be screened in local cinemas. This way, for example, film makers from Iran – a conservative country by all accounts –have released many critically acclaimed art films for international audiences without having to violate local censorship laws or compromise on artistic integrity. Furthermore, given that Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed to boost tourism in this country, some of the tourism budget should be earmarked for the production of local films that can be screened abroad and online, as the more people are exposed to local culture through cinematic productions, the more they will be interested in visiting the country. Above all, it is high time that we stopped viewing the local film industry through the Indian prism. * Published in Daily Times, October 15th 2018.