Pakistan To Launch A Local Version Of Netflix, Announced Fawad Chaudhry

The minister for Science and Technology of Pakistan Fawad Chaudhry today took to Twitter and shared the OTT platform will be the first of its kind, made in Pakistan.

An over-the-top (OTT) media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. It is the latest technology trend being followed worldwide for providing entertainment services that bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms.

Chaudhry added the technical aspect of the platform has been completed and now, PEMRA has been asked to prepare guidelines for the content that will be screened on the medium.

“We at the Ministry of Science and Technology are all set to launch Pakistan’s first OTT television (Pakistani version of Netflix). The technology part is complete and we have asked PEMRA to prepare a guideline on content,” Chaudhry wrote. “We will be all set to launch in PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode.

The politician is hopeful the medium will be up and running in no time.

The need for a local OTT platform has been emphasised upon by many Pakistani artists, especially after five Pakistani original series were picked up by an Indian streaming giant. Earlier, director Asim Abbasi, whose web series Churails garnered rave reviews on ZEE5, shared his thoughts on the same. Asked why he thinks Pakistan is still struggling to reach the heights Indian content has, the film-maker replied, “Streaming platforms give power back to content creators. Their mandate of diversification allows for new voices to come to the forefront. It’s a huge stepping stone in the right direction and I expect a lot of visionary, experimental film-makers from Pakistan will turn to the web in the coming years.”