"In retaliation to Pakistani government banning Indian movies in Pakistan, AICWA urges all the Film Industry, Film fraternity to put a complete stop to any association with Pakistani artists, musicians and diplomats. AICWA is demanding a strict 'Say no to Pakistan' for trade and bilateral relations. Entire film industry & cine workers have refused to resume work till there is no complete ban of Pakistani movie-makers, artists & trade partners", the letter said.
The letter comes after Pakistani Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on 8 August that Islamabad is formulating a new cultural policy toward India, which would include banning screenings of Indian films, following New Delhi's move to revoke the special status of its Jammu and Kashmir state. On Friday, Awan announced that Pakistan banned "all kinds of Indian content coming to the country" and would set up a group that would responsible for combating Indian ideology from all fronts.
Earlier this week, the Indian government announced its decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, which had 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 led Islamabad to downgrade its diplomatic relations and suspend trade with its neighbour.
Tensions between Pakistan and India have intensified earlier this year when the Indian military conducted airstrikes in the region in response to an attack orchestrated by a terrorist group based on the Pakistani side of Kashmir. The Kashmir region, the southern part of which lies in India's Jammu and Kashmir state has been contended by India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947.
