PESHAWAR: Owners on Thursday closed all cinemas in the provincial capital indefinitely over threats of terrorist attacks.

The development comes in the wake of the bombings of two local cinemas, including Picture House near Qissa Khwani and Shama Cinema on Pejagi Road this month, which left at least 18 people dead.

“We have closed the cinema for indefinite period as police have refused to provide us with security. There are threats of terrorist attacks. The best way to handle the situation is to close cinemas close,” manager of a cinema told Dawn.

He said managements of local cinemas had time and again requested police to provide them with security, but to no avail.

“Police never took our request seriously.

The manager said cinemas had private guards, who checked visitors at entrance, but they didn’t have walkthrough gates and detectors for explosives.

“It is impossible for us to adopt expensive security measures on our own for low revenue. There was a time when we had full day and night shows daily but these days, the number has reduced to one or two as the people don’t come even close to cinemas,” he said.

When contacted, Peshawar SSP (Operations) Najeebur Rehman said police had time and again asked owners of cinemas to adopt ‘reasonable’ security measures, appoint young and energetic guards, and install closed circuit television cameras and walkthrough gates on the premises, but to no avail.

“We cannot deploy police at every cinema and shop as we despite being understaffed are fighting militancy and have to cover the areas bordering Khyber Agency,” he said.

The SSP said after the promulgation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Restriction of Rented Buildings (Security) Ordinance and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hotels Restriction (Security) Ordinance, police would ensure the checking of suspected people in buildings.Meanwhile, during a visit to different cinemas in the city on Thursday, Dawn observed that the places were deserted and that the huge panaflex boards with names of different movies were either removed, covered or folded.

The main gates were locked with private guards from behind them asking visitors that cinemas were closed for indefinite period.

Security arrangements there were found to be unsatisfactory causing fears that terrorists could target them without difficulty.

Owners of the cinemas were not available for comments on the situation.

DAWN

13 people were killed and at least 35 were injured on February 11, 2014 in a grenade attack on Shama Cinema, situated near the busy Bacha Khan Square in Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa province. The cinema was known for sometimes showing pornographic films in one of its auditoriums. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast at the cinema came 11 days after a similar attack at Picture House Cinema, situated in the Kabuli Bazaar area of Peshawar.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ejaz Ahmed said that three grenades were thrown in the cinema hall during a show. The first hand grenade was detonated near the the front, the second in the back of the cinema, and the third blast followed. Up to 80 people were present in the cinema at the time of the explosions, according to the police officer.

The onwers of Shama Cinema had been receiving threats and had informed the police accordingly. However, the police did not take any steps besides directing the cinema owners to install CCTV cameras.

Condemning the incident, political leaders termed it a step to derail peace talks between the Government and representatives of the Taliban. Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid condemned the incident and denied any involvement of Tehrik-e-Taliban.

Five individuals killed in attack on Peshawar cinema

Two hand grenades were lobbed inside the Picture House cinema during the screening of a Pashto film Zidi Pakhtun (stubborn Pakhtun) on February 2, in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan which borders Aghanistan. PPF reported on February 3 that the Pakistani Taliban group Jundallah had claimed responsibility for the attack, in retaliation for the screening of the film which was considered “anti-Shariah”.

According to the police report, the grenades were hurled by a person seated near the back of the theatre.

One of the hand-grenades landed in the middle of the cinema and the other on the head of a man in the audience. Five people were killed and more than 30 were injured.

Police said that cinema houses in the city were already under threat and they had warned the cinema house owners of the attacks and asked them to make proper security arrangements. However, the cinema administration was found to be careless and neglectful.

IFEX