Faysal Quraishi opposes tax relief for foreign TV imports
Actor Faysal Quraishi has once again voiced his opposition to the government removing advance taxes on the import of foreign media. At the same time, he said Pakistani TV shows can and do compete with the best content on Netflix.
The star appeared on the podcast Fahad’s Den. Host Fahad Abid asked him why he opposed “removing taxes on imports.” Quraishi explained that he opposed relaxing taxes on foreign TV shows specifically.
As part of this year’s federal budget, the government announced in June that it would withdraw advance taxes. These taxes are paid well before the end of the tax year on payments for foreign television plays and advertisements.
“Look, back in 2013 we had a major issue when Turkish dramas started playing here… Our industry suffered a lot because of it. We lost our slots [on television]. Each of those slots represents 80 to 100 livelihoods. Losing 10 slots means 1,000 people out of a job.”
Impact on Pakistan’s entertainment industry
The actor said the move does not affect him much personally because he now does only one or two dramas a year. However, young actors who need exposure will lose prime-time slots if foreign shows occupy them.
Quraishi argued that if the government expects the entertainment industry to compete with foreign productions, it should apply the same principle to every other industry.
“If you’re saying it should be an equal playing field, why must that only apply to dramas? Let shampoos compete with shampoos, cigarettes with cigarettes, ice cream with ice cream too, everything.”
The actor said the government imposed import restrictions and taxes to support local industries. He questioned why other industries should receive that protection while entertainment does not.
AI and global competition
Quraishi said artificial intelligence (AI) has made the situation even more challenging. He said studios can now dub foreign media without hiring dubbing artists. AI can replicate foreign actors’ voices in Urdu and even synchronise lip movements.
Nevertheless, he said Pakistani dramas have earned their place in the global market. They also compete with Netflix and Amazon Prime series in terms of popularity.
He said people across the world continue to watch Pakistani dramas despite the popularity of OTT platforms. Many viewers also recognise Pakistani actors.
“Brother, look our competition right now is directly with Netflix series… Our free-to-air dramas are being compared with Netflix series. Even the most expensive of our shows cost about 200 million to make. Meanwhile, the Indians are spending 300 to 400 million per episode. That’s what we’re being compared to.”
Quraishi claimed a single episode of a successful Pakistani drama attracts more views than entire popular Netflix series.
Comparison with India
The actor asked Abid to look at India. He said India has a much larger entertainment industry than Pakistan but does not allow Pakistani content into its market.
He said India follows that policy to give its own productions an advantage. He added that the country has used the same approach for decades to support domestic industries, including the automobile sector.
