Islamabad: A leading Pakistani newspaper yesterday sought a ban on Indian films, warning this was the only way to help the local cinema "develop and thrive".
The Nation said the government should meet a demand made in Lahore on Wednesday by a group of artists, singers and directors that cinema houses should stop screening Indian films.
"This would help the national film industry develop and thrive," the daily said in an editorial.
It warned that "by not banning Bollywood films being shown in every nook and cranny of the country, we would only be letting the Indians succeed in their ploy of invading us culturally".
A 1965 ban on Indian films in Pakistan was lifted only in 2008. But despite the ban, Bollywood productions were a craze all over the country.
Bollywood stars are a household name in Pakistan. Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are the most popular actors while Aishwarya Rai and Rani Mukherjee are among the most sought-after actresses.
The lifting of the ban in 2008 legalised Indian films, which until then would mostly be smuggled.
