MUMBAI: An official Pakistani entertainment industry delegation is slated to visit India to participate in Ficci Frames 2004.

The delegation includes the Pakistan Film Producers Association chairman, prominent filmmakers (producers and directors) and famous artistes and technicians.

According to industry sources, Pakistan's participation in Frames 2004 is aimed at discussing a broader range of media collaborations between the entertainment industries of the two countries.

Apart from a session of 'India & Pakistan: A New Era of Cooperation in Entertainment Industry' at Frames 2004, the delegation is also scheduled to hold joint press conferences with Ficci to chart out and highlight the roadmap for future exchanges and cooperation in the entertainment industry. The delegation would also be visiting film studios to get a first-hand experience of the Indian film industry.

The delegation's India visit could well be the first step in developing a legitimate channel for the highly popular Indian films in Pakistan. There was a time when Indian films like Awara, Aan, Andaaz, Anarkali and Dupatta ran to packed houses in Pakistan for 50 plus weeks.

At present, there is a legal ban in Pakistan on importing media content from India. But that has led to rampant piracy and in any case, the ban is not practically effective courtesy pirated videos and to some extent the internet.