PAF orders closure of cinema hall during Ramzan on MMA pressure

Peshawar, Sep 30 (UNI) A cinema hall run by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has finally agreed to adhere to the directives issued by the local Islamic government to close the hall temporarily, a local media report said.

The Daily Times quoted cinema manager Mr Naeem Khan as saying that the first order he received to close down the cinema house came from the PAF base commander.

The six-party Islamic alliance Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), which rules the NWFP, on Monday issued orders for the closure of all cinema halls in the province during the holy month of Ramzan.

While all private cinema halls had adhered to the government directive, the PAF-run cinema hall had continued the screening of films until Wednesday.

According to sources, the PAF order came only after the local government had approached a top military commander in Peshawar, urging him to ensure PAF compliance, thereby saving the ruling alliance from the embarrassment of having its directives openly flouted by the armed forces.

After the meeting, Mr Khan said, the military commander had ordered the PAF base commander to accede to the directives issued by the provincial government.

There was a great rush at the hall since all private cinemas had already been closed by the provincial government, he added.

According to cinemagoer Khan Zada, tickets at the PAF-run cinema were being sold at double the normal price. This, he said, perhaps represented the real reason for the initial refusal of PAF to kowtow to the directive of the local government.

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