Devolution of culture ministry: Sindh government fails to establish its own 'Film Censor Board'

Sindh Culture department has failed to establish its own "Film Censor Board", resulting millions of rupees loss in the head of fees of censorship as 127 local and foreign movies were illegally exhibited in the province only in 2012, Business Recorder has learnt.
PPP-led federal government had devolved 18 ministries to the province including Culture Ministry following the 18th constitutional amendment. Central Censor Board, Karachi was the authority to censor the all kind of films local and foreign which had to be exhibited in Sindh and it was the attached body of Central Board of Film Censors, Islamabad.
With devolution of culture ministry, the Establishment Division had issued a notification of devolution of Central Censor Board, Karachi on April 4, 2011, sources said. Later, after the passage of the period of about seven months, the then Secretary Culture Sindh Abdul Aziz Uqaili, who remained on this position for a long time, had issued a notification of establishing the "Sindh Board of Film Censors" on November 12, 2011, sources said.
Uqaili had posted Syed Amjad Ali Shah as Secretary of the Sindh Board of Film Censors. Shah was the officer in Central Board of Film Censors, he had a vast experience of censoring the films, sources said. Earlier of devolution, Central Censor Board, Karachi's office was on rent in Manzoor Square building at M A Jinnah Road which was later taken in control by the culture department. Now, the department is paying the rent of office and whole system of Censor Board is running as per old policies.
But, Censor Board itself is inactive as Uqaili failed to get approval of Board structure, they said. According to an official document obtained by Business Recorder, there would be 18 members of the board, including the Chairman (sitting secretary culture). Sitting secretaries of education, law, home, information and representative of ISPR, Karachi not below the rank of Colonel would be the official members of the board.
In other members, document revealed that culture department proposed the names of Saeed Rizvi (Chairman defunct Pakistan Film Producers Association), Mahtab Mehboob (writer), Nadeem Baig (a renowned film star), Huma Mir (TV Actress/compare), Manzoor Qureshi (TV Producer), Zulifqar Razmi (former importer of films), Taj Haider (Renowned politician/writer), Ramesh Mana (Member Pakistan Hindu Council), Zeba Bakhtiar (Director/Producer) and others.
According to sources, authorities of culture department had forwarded the summary of board's structure to former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah two times for approval but it could not be done both times. Resulting, all film makers and importers are getting censorship certificates from Central Board of Film Censors, Islamabad and Sindh's exchequer is facing loss of millions of rupees in the head of fees of censorship certificates, sources said.
According to official fees list obtained by Business Recorder mentioned that fees of feature film produced in Pakistan was Rs 25,000 for a period of 25 years, feature film imported from abroad was Rs 20,000 for the period of an agreement of importers with distributors, feature tally film on video cassettes/DVD disc was Rs 10,000 for each disc, Songs, dramas and other programme in one disc was Rs 2000 for each disc, short film viz trailer, advertisement short, documentary/educational and like was Rs 2000, for each disc, screening fee for verification of subsequently acquired print of feature film was Rs 8,000 for each disc, screening fee for verification of subsequently acquired print of trailer, advertisement short, documentary and the like was Rs 2000 for each disc, Renewal of censor certificate for imported film was Rs 10,000 as per agreement and attestation fee of censor certificate of film was Rs 10 per each copy.
In this connection, Ramzan Aiwan, newly posted secretary culture said that he got briefing over the devolution of culture ministry including the censor board two days back adding that his first priority is to get approved Sindh Board of Film Censors from Caretaker Chief Minister.