Pakistan will never allow its soil to be used against others: Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan will neither allow its own soil to be used against any other country nor will allow any other country to disturb peace and stability here.

The interior minister was addressing inaugural ceremony of three-day Asia Peace Film Festival with the theme Film for Peace at Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad on Monday.

Iqbal said Pakistan was extending every kind of support and collaboration to the war-torn Afghanistan to help achieve sustainable peace in the region.

We strictly adhere to the goal of peace within and beyond and we have made significant achievements in eliminating terrorism from our country, he said.

The interior minister said Pakistan desired peace in the region and a peaceful society could pave the way to progress.

He said the use of modern technology was indispensable for progress in this modern era, but art was equally important for the society.

Washing away the stigma of terrorism, the country was striving to take culture and tradition forward, the minister said.

Speaking about cinemas, he said they are an accessible and influential tool that can be utilized for bringing people from different cultures together.

The minister said films are a source of learning as they not only combine the fiction and the real world together but also educate the viewers on social problems.

He said the government has announced a tax relief package for film-making to promote the industry.