ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain says that efforts are underway to revitalise Pakistani films and dramas to ensure the country's entertainment industry achieves its past glory.

Addressing a news conference after the signing of MoU between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the National Council of Arts and PTV in Islamabad, Chaudhry said that the film and drama industries are the mediums through which a country portrays its culture and stories.

"These mediums have been weakened," Fawad said. "Unfortunately, we have ruined our film and drama industry."

He claimed that Pakistan's film industry was once the third biggest industry in the world without sharing any specifics.

The federal minister said that the current MoU was part of government efforts to revive the industry, including bringing back national awards for films, drama and music.

"During the next year, 22 awards would be given to musicians, artists and films. Through these awards, more than 250 million rupees would be given to leading filmmakers, musicians and artists," Fawad said.

He informed that the government has finalized a film policy under which the film industry has been incentivised.

Fawad said in the new policy, the government had proposed that the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) charge higher tax if a channel is airing foreign dramas so that they should not be cheaper than local ones.

"Our television channels have made it a norm to import foreign dramas, which is comparatively cheaper than the local ones, and as a result, our local dramas have suffered a huge blow," he said.

The government would also slap taxes on advertisement companies that cast foreign models in their advertisements to pave way for local artists, Fawad warned.

The minister said that a one-window operation for no-objection certificate (NOC) would be introduced for foreign filmmakers who want to visit Pakistan to shoot their films "as there are many beautiful locations in the country".

He said that a film division, PTV Film, was being created in the state broadcaster, adding that two films with multi-million dollar budgets that are in the finale stages would be broadcast through PTV.

The minister said that characters from Muslim history would also be the focused of such productions.

"A film on Zahiruddin Babar (the founder of the Mughal dynasty) is being co-produced with Uzbekistan. A second movie on the life of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is being jointly produced with Iran," the minister said.

He added that the government would encourage local filmmakers to produce films in collaboration with PTV for its film division.

The minister said special focus was being given to revival of cinema halls and they were being given industrial tariff rates instead of commercial ones.

"I personally approached the National Command and Operation Centre for reopening of cinema houses in the country," he pointed out.

He added that entertainment channels were being included in the advertisement policy of the ministry for the first time so that they could also become economically viable and flourish.