LAHORE - While the Pakistani films have vanished from the cinema, the screening of foreign movies is in full swing these days. Almost every cinema in the City including those located in the Northern Lahore and Walled City known for displaying Punjabi movies, has switched over to either Indian or English film. The cinema-owners are going for the foreign flicks after the Pakistani films failed to attract viewers in a sizable number to sustain the cinema industry. The trend to display foreign films is countrywide and not just confined to the historic city of Lahore known for its vibrant film industry, but now it appeared as a thing of past. The exhibitors and distributors are showing keen interest to purchase the screening rights for the new Bollywood and Hollywood movies. Only a few cinemas like Odeon, Capital and Shabistan are displaying Pakistani movies, but the cinema-goers showed their least interest in these films. The cinemas throughout the country counting Empire, Sozo World, Mir Mahal, Sanay Gold, Cine Star, Nishat and Shama at Sialkot, Rex at Multan, Gulistan at Sheikhupura, Shaheen at Sargodha, Seroz and Sany Pex at Rawalpindi have screened an Indian movie 'Kambakht Ishq' while Prince and DHA are showing another Indian film 'Luck'. Taj Mahal and Sabina at Faisalabad, Dream Land at Multan, Zinko Palace at Gujranwala, Sany Pax, Shaheen Auditorium at Rawalpindi and Shaheen Auditorium at Sargodha are exhibiting another Indian film 'Love Aaj Kal' while the Metropole and DHA cinemas have displayed 'New York'. The huge number of cinemas including Mehfil, Crown, Alfalah, Regal, Palace, Paramount, PAF Cinema, Shabnam, Shama, Angola, Rattan, Rewali, Nishat and many others have been closed down for lack of business and poor quality of films produced in Pakistan. Naveed Sadiq, a viewer said that Lahore was popular for its cinemas but after the cable television, the number of cinemas had decreased. He said that it was the business instinct which had forced the cinema-owners to exhibit popular foreign film. He said that one could observe that Indian movies had dominated our cinemas due to our bogus production. Najeeb Ahmad, another viewer said that our industry was paralysed due to lack of original scripts, rise of plagiarism and poor quality. A worker at a local cinema disclosed that all the authorities concerned were fully aware of this trend, but no one was ready to come forward and salvage this film industry. Punjab Minister for Sports and Culture Dr Rana Tanvirul Islam said, "I am surprised by the titles of Pakistani movies, one can asses the worth of our movie from its name." He questioned, "what kind of support producers and directors demand of the government," adding that basic requirement for making a better movie was to give it a original script besides dramatising it in natural atmosphere, "it is director's job, not of government." He said that instead of criticising foreign movies, our directors and producers should assimilate all the qualities and then try to compete with foreign films. Pakistan Cinema Management Association (PCMA) Chairman Qaiser Sanaullah said the industry failed to produce quality films which had forced the cinema-owners to take interest in screening rights for foreign movies. He said that writers, directors, producers and exhibitors should take serious steps in uplifting the local film industry. "We need genuine concepts, scripts and latest technology to produce good movies," he added.