A ban on Indian films in Pakistan's cinema houses would help the country's film industry "develop and thrive", a Pakistani daily said Friday.

An editorial in The Nation said the demand made by a group of artists, singers and directors in Lahore Wednesday to ban Indian films in national cinema houses ought to be met by the government.

"That would help the national film industry develop and thrive.

"There are lots of cinema houses which screen only Indian movies and do not show any interest in playing Pakistani movies. The result is a gradual decline of our own film industry, " it said.

It warned that "by not banning Bollywood films being shown in every nook and cranny of the country, we would only be letting the Indians succeed in their ploy of invading us culturally".

The editorial, however, did not go into the details of what it described as cultural invasion.

It claimed that according to the group of Pakistan movie directors, "certain self-seeking individuals associated with Lollywood are reaping huge benefits by making huge investments in India".

The editorial added that the government should not only ban Indian films from Pakistan's cinema houses, "but also from the various private TV channels that keep broadcasting them".

"The policy of letting India disseminate its culture freely in Pakistan is dealing a serious financial blow to the Lollywood industry and polluting the minds of the youth, " it said.