Pakistan Bans Indian Films as Part of New Cultural Policy Toward New Delhi - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Pakistan is formulating a new cultural policy toward India, which will include banning screenings of Indian films, following New Delhi's move to revoke the special status of its Jammu and Kashmir state, local media reported, citing Pakistan's Information Ministry.

Indian movies will no longer be shown in movie theatres across the country, Pakistani Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said as quoted by the Geo TV news outlet.

The decision comes as Islamabad aims to sever some of its cultural ties with its neighbour following the recent developments in the Kashmir region.

Awan also said Pakistan's parliament unanimously condemned India's revocation of Article 370 and the government would utilize all means to extend its support to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier this week, the Indian government announced its decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, which granted the state a certain degree of autonomy for several decades, and split it into two union territories. This move prompted clashes on the Indian-Pakistani line of control and caused Islamabad to downgrade its diplomatic relations and suspend trade with its neighbour.

 

Indian soldiers stand guard in Srinagar, India, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. Tensions have soared along the volatile, highly militarized frontier between India and Pakistan in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, as India has deployed more troops and ordered thousands of visitors out of the region

© AP Photo / Dar Yasin

The disputed Kashmir region, the southern part of which is where India's Jammu and Kashmir lies, has been the source of tensions between the two nations since the end of British rule in the region in 1947. After several armed conflicts, both sides agreed to a ceasefire in 2003. Since then, however, accusations of truce violations have been exchanged, with continued instability in the region leading to the emergence of various extremist groups.