Cinemas’ conversion into theatres suspended

Staff Report

LAHORE: The conversion of cinema houses into theatres and registration of new theatres has been temporarily suspended till a well-defined policy is drafted on the matter, said a handout after a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Secretary Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa on Monday.

The meeting was attended by the home, information and law secretaries and the Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala district coordination officers (DCOs).

The meeting was told that in the absence of a law regulating the conversion of cinemas to theatres and their subsequent registration, certain complaints were raised about unfair business practices of cinema owners.

The chief secretary directed the authorities concerned to prepare a list of cinema houses which have been converted into theatres and registered in the province, so that they could be regulated more effectively. He instructed the home and information secretaries to prepare a white paper for future policy on this matter.

The chief secretary ordered the DCOs to take stringent action against stage performers and others who violated the approved ‘drama scripts’ regulations. He disallowed dances and songs in theatrical performances in the city.

Home | National