Terrorism, inflation sounding death knell for cinemas in Pakistan

Peshawar, Feb.2 (ANI): The rising insurgency and the sharia of the Taliban in the tribal regions of Pakistan has not only seen educational institutions shutting down and people migrating to safer places, but the entertainment sector is also witnessing a massive decline in revenue as the number of cine-goers has dropped nearly 50 percent.

According to a recent survey conducted by The Daily Times, the cinema business in Peshawar is on the verge of closure with only ten cinema theatres showing movies currently. Earlier, Peshawar boasted of around 14 cinema halls.

The few of cinema theatres which are showing films are deprived of visitors as the frequent incidents of bombing, suicide attacks, and torching of the halls have prevented people to come out to enjoy movies on the 70 mm screen.

Most of the halls are screening films in Pashto and Urdu language due to the ban imposed by the extremists on showing Indian and Hollywood films.

The theatres, in their bid to survive are compelled to show movies but most of the shows o vacant as fears of suicide attacks has confined people to their houses.

Besides terror threats, the sagging economic condition of the country, and particularly of the tribal region, and the increasing piracy, are also the prime factors behind the present poor condition of the theatres. "The number of visitors had dropped by 50 percent over the past few years due to militancy and inflation," said Adeeb, an employee of a picture place.

With almost no fresh development work being taken up in the region, the number of cine-goers is expected to drop further, as cinema is the lone source of entertainment for the lower strata of the society, particularly the labourers who have no other source of entertainment. (ANI)