PM seeks proposals to resolve issues of film industry.

ISLAMABAD -- Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said the government would fully support every effort to highlight the true image of the country and promote real culture.

'Our foremost priority is to highlight Pakistanism, and protecting and promoting the culture and values of our society,' the prime minister said while presiding over a meeting on the revival of Pakistani film industry and cinema.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, SAPM Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, Information Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani, Faraz Chaudhry, Peer Saad Ahsanuddin and Zaurez Lashari attended the meeting.

The participants of the meeting presented various suggestions to the prime minister regarding the promotion of film industry and cinema in the country.

Provinces assured of support to deal with locusts attack

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Lashari said a second meeting would be held on Saturday (today) in Lahore with the culture secretary, film producers, directors and cinema owners to recommend measures to resolve issues being faced by the industry.

Locusts attack

Meanwhile, the Centre on Friday assured four provinces of its all-out support to combat swarms of locusts currently attacking and badly hit the agriculture sector by ruining ripped crops, especially in Sindh and Punjab.

The assurance was given by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the chief ministers who were attending a separate high-level meeting at the Prime Minister Office through video link. According to the PM Office, the meeting reviewed steps taken to exterminate the pest.

The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security Khusro Bakhtyar, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, SAPM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan and other senior officials. All the four chief ministers gave their input through the video link.

Meanwhile, in a separate meeting with National Disaster Management Authority chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said that necessary insecticides weighing 300 tonnes would arrive in Pakistan from China next week.

He said China would provide anti-locust spray and machinery to Pakistan in three phases. Yao Jing said Chinese technicians would also train Pakistani workers in the use of spray machinery.

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