A delegation of Tencent, one of the biggest Chinese music companies of the world, called Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, on Monday and showed keen interest to invest in the fields of film and music in Pakistan.
The information minister, in the meeting, said music of Pakistan was highly rich and diverse and “we wish to encourage our artists to showcase their talent and promote the diversity in the cultural landscape of the country through the art of music.”
He said the Pakistani music was highly popular in various regions, including the Sub-continent. “Our country has produced one of the legendry musicians, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who not only dominated the scene of music in the Sub-continent but made his mark at the global level too,” he added.
The minister told the delegation that Lok Virsa, an attached department of the Ministry of Information, was also working to preserve the dying musical instruments with a view to protect the historical music.
Fawad said the current government had introduced a new revolutionary visa regime to encourage tourism, sports and investment in the country.
“We are open to investment in the fields of film and music as these are vital mediums to promote values and culture of any society,” he said.
He also invited the Chinese film-makers to come to Pakistan and shoot the scenic beauty of its northern areas.
Pakistan, he said, was once third largest film producing countries in the world but the trend of production had unfortunately declined with the passage of time. “We have now 127 cinema screens at the moment and we aim to raise their number to 1,000.”
The minister stressed the need for a formal agreement between the Chinese company and the department concerned of the Ministry of Information with the view to rejuvenate music and to strengthen the unique bond of friendship between the two countries even further.
He also informed the delegation about the calendar of activities prepared by the ministry to hold various festivals and cultural events in Pakistan. “We would like you to contribute in these festivals to make them more colourful and dynamic.”
The delegation appreciated the immense potential and talent of Pakistanis in the realm of music and showed their interest for collaboration in the fields of film and music.
(The featured image at the top shows Mawra Hocane – second from right – and other popular Pakistani film stars)
