Pakistan’s government on Friday banned the screening of Indian movies across the country during and around Eid to boost Pakistan's failing film industry, according to a Times of India report.

An official notification, marked as ‘most immediate’, was issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage to the chairman of the Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association and all others relevant bodies.

“In order to revive and promote local film industry in Pakistan, the federal government has decided to put a limited restriction on exhibition or screening of Indian films during Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. The restriction shall remain in force for two days before and two weeks after Eid days,” the notification read.

All the importers and distributors of foreign films in Pakistan have been requested to “restrain from exhibition or screening of Indian films in cinema houses all over the country.”

Every year during Eid, many Pakistani films are released but they usually fail to compete with Indian movies, incurring huge losses.

The decision, according to government sources, was taken on the demand of local film directors, producers and some actors.

“Here in Pakistan, we have a history of struggling to consolidate our local film industry. A temporary ban on Indian films during Eid was our basic demand,” Chaudhry Ejaz Kamran, chairman of Pakistan Film Distributors Association told media.

According to the notice, all cinemas across Pakistan are to observe the moratorium starting from two days before Eidul Fitr up until two weeks after. The Punjab Film Censor Board and Sindh Film Censor Board have also been told the same, Pakistan’s The Express Tribune reported.

A source from the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage told The Express Tribune that the decision has been taken in hopes of strengthening the Pakistani film industry. The official also revealed that the policy was actually announced earlier this year.