Pakistan stops screening Indian films over rising Kashmir tensions

Major Pakistani cinemas have stopped screening Indian films as recent tensions between the two neighboring countries over the disputed Kashmir region spill into the world of Bollywood.

The retaliatory move came after the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) banned Pakistani actors, singers and technicians from working on Indian films.

Pakistan's Film Exhibitors and Distributors group criticized the IMPPA for the decision.

"It is deeply regrettable that … the IMPPA has passed a resolution to ban Pakistani stars and technicians from working in India," the group said in a statement late on Friday.

"(Following) the IMPPA decision... the majority stake holders of the (Pakistani) film industry have decided to suspend the screening of all Indian films until normalcy returns," it added.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have been simmering for months but were ratcheted up after New Delhi said on Wednesday that it had carried out “surgical strikes” against militants across the de facto borderline, known as the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the disputed region of Kashmir.

The Pakistani military, however, rejected such claims and said, “There has been no surgical strike by India.”

SS