The ruling alliance has announced the finalisation of the country’s “first-ever music policy draft”, which if approved, would protect artists’ legal rights and resolve licence issues.

“Since the 1970s, no policy parameters, including legislative and administrative, for the music industry have been introduced,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement. “The new policy will fully protect the copyright, which [will] help compose quality music for masses.”

Both Pakistan and the music industry were suffering due to the theft of intellectual rights, she lamented.

The new policy incentives and initiatives would eventually boost the music industry since they would effectively redress piracy, copyrights and other pertinent issues, according to the minister.

She added that the music policy had been prepared in accordance with international standards and also considering the relevant laws in vogue in the neighbouring countries.

The artists’ public performance, production, distribution, adaptation, duration, and mechanical and communication rights were also brought into the legal framework through the policy, she added.

Through such measures, Aurangzeb said the problem of users and licensees would also be solved.

She went on to add that with the end of the monopoly, the basic legal rights of music industry workers would also be protected under the proposed policy.

All issues and demands of the music stakeholders, including copyrights, would be resolved, she reiterated.

The policy, she said, would also protect the legal rights of music producers, singers, writers and lyricists, besides resolving the long-standing issues of the industry related to sales, copying and piracy.

The minister said the policy also included special measures to preserve classic music and initiatives for local and folk music to promote regional singers and artists.

Under the policy, Aurangzeb said that steps would be taken to not only preserve but also promote Pakistan’s musical heritage which was “rich being a unique combination of Sufi poetry, with classic and modern music”.

She said that music could be termed “the soul and spirit” of Pakistani society, rather it was a national and cultural identity, which was being brought forward from generation to generation.