PA passes Punjab Film City Bill 2026 amid fiery debate and opposition uproar

The Punjab Film City Authority Bill 2026, meant to help revive the provincial film and creative industry, became the focus of an extremely heated debate in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday, marked by a volley of accusations, point-scoring, and procedural questions, before passing muster in a majority vote.

The Senior Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, introduced the bill to the House, describing it as a policy measure for rebuilding the “dismantled” film industry in Punjab.

The minister explained that the country has been failing to make its mark in the field of screen tourism and film-making, which hurt Pakistan’s image and left the artists deprived of opportunities.

According to Aurangzeb, the establishment of the authority would result in setting up a world-class film city over large tracts of land, comprising institutions of film and music training, film production facilities, and other infrastructures to create job opportunities and earn money.

She made it clear that the bill, after going through the relevant procedure at the standing committee level, was formulated after thorough planning during the last one and a half years.