EOBI to invest Rs1bn on 4 cinemas in Islamabad
By: Imran Ali Teepu
ISLAMABAD: Some good news for the citizens of the capital especially those who are cinema fans. The Employees` Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) is to invest over Rs1 billion for establishment of four cinemas within a span of two years in I-8 Markaz, Dawn has learnt.
The capital city stands apart for the rather unwanted distinction of having no cinema house.
The only three cinema houses in the capital have been closed down over the last decade.
The first movie house was set up in 1966 in Melody Market. After Melody Cinema, the National Film Development Corporation set up its two movie halls, which were known as Nafdec I and II, in late 1974.
Kohsar Cinema was the third and the last one to be established in the capital`s Sector G-7.
The last cinema which was closed down in the city was none other than Nafdec Cinema in Blue Area.
In 2001, according to media reports, Nafdec was liquidated by the defunct Ministry of Culture under the president`s orders and the complex was sold to a private party where its owners now want to establish a multi-storey plaza.
“We will be having our buildings developed in a span of almost 20 months in I-8 Markaz where EOBI has four plots,” the architect of the EOBI multi-storey building, Qaisar Hassan, told Dawn .
“We want to provide good entertainment to the citizens where some 1,000 people can watch movies in the four cinemas,” said Mr Hassan. Each cinema, he said, would be having seating capacity for 250 people.
Regarding the size of the plot, he said it was over 200,000 sq ft and the construction of the plaza will start once they get a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the civic agency.
The director-general of the building control department, Malik Murtaza, told Dawn : “We have given a principle approval for the design of the building. Employees` Old-Age Benefits Institution is likely to start the construction of the commercial plaza including cinemas within a span of one month.”
“Along with cinemas the EOBI commercial centre will also have children entertainment zone, shopping malls and a large parking area,” said Mr Murtaza. The official said one last approval was awaited from the Estate Management Wing related to land of the plots. Once it was given the investor would be free to complete the building.
An official of the CDA added that under-construction skyscraper, Centaurus Tower, would also have a cineplex.
Besides that Nafdec building owner has also assured the civic agency that they would have one cinema once they started development of the building.
However, grim hopes of entertainment are tangled with Nafdec Cinema building because it still stands at the same plot near Beverly Centre commercial plaza and is yet to be demolished. Centaurus Towers on the other hand is to be completed in 2012.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/19/2011
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