Islamabad: Three leading representative organisations of Pakistan’s entertainment industry -- United Producers Association (UPA), Actors Collective Pakistan (ACT), and Directors Guild Pakistan (DGP) -- have jointly expressed serious concern over the proposed withdrawal of advance tax on imported foreign television plays and advertisements under the Finance Bill 2026-27, urging the government to suspend the move until meaningful consultations are held with stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of their respective organizations, Zeeshan M. Khan, General Secretary of UPA, Samina Ahmad, Chairperson of ACT, and Shahzad Nawaz, General Secretary of DGP, said that while Pakistan’s creative community supports tax reforms aimed at strengthening the national economy, any policy with far-reaching implications for the country’s creative industries must be formulated only after comprehensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
The spokespersons noted that the advance tax on imported foreign television plays and advertisements was introduced through the Finance Bill 2013-14 by the then Federal Finance Minister, Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, as part of a broader policy framework designed to promote indigenous media production, encourage local content, and strengthen Pakistan’s creative sector.
They emphasised that reversing a policy that has remained in place for more than a decade should only be undertaken following a detailed economic assessment and extensive stakeholder engagement. The associations highlighted that Pakistan’s Creative Economy sustains thousands of professionals and their families across television, film, digital media, advertising, music, animation, post-production, and numerous allied industries.
They further pointed out that both the federal and provincial governments have recently announced initiatives -- including the Punjab Film City Project -- to promote domestic media production and strengthen the country’s creative industries. Any policy that potentially weakens local production, they warned, would contradict these national development efforts.
Representing thousands of artists and creative professionals across Pakistan, the three organisations have appealed to the prime minister, the finance minister, the information minister, and all Members of Parliament to carefully consider the industry’s concerns before implementing the proposed measure.
The associations have collectively demanded that the government to: suspend implementation of the proposed withdrawal pending formal stakeholder consultation; Convene an urgent meeting with representatives of Pakistan’s creative industries; Publish a comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment evaluating the effects of the proposed policy; Initiate the formulation of a National Creative Economy Policy to ensure sustainable growth, investment, employment, and protection of Pakistan’s cultural industries.
The organizations reaffirmed their commitment to working constructively with the government in developing policies that promote economic growth while safeguarding Pakistan’s creative talent, cultural identity and media industry.
