F.P. Report
LAHORE: Governor Punjab, Malik Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana will inaugurate a 3-day mega “9th Interiors Pakistan” exhibition 2017 at Expo Centre here on Friday.
Chief Executive Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Mian Kashif Ashfaq in a statement on Thursday said that Vice President SAARC Chamber and Chairman United Business Group, Iftikhar Ali Malik, ex-TDAP Chief SM Muneer,President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Zubair Tufail along with SVP Aamir Ata Bajwa,VP Manzoor Ul Haq Malik, President Lahore Chamber Tahir Javed, SVP, Khawaja Kahwar Rashid, VP Zeeshan Khalil,Chairperson TEVTA Irfran Qaiser Sheikh and President Women Chambers besides other leading businessmen and traders will also grace the event while Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile Muhammad Pervaiz Malik will be chief guest on the concluding day.
The essence of exhibition is to promote the furniture and associated products made in Pakistan at local and international level. The event will be attended by members of the diplomatic corps, leading businessmen, stakeholders of the furniture industry and foreign delegations and in this regard delegations from China, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Hong Kong, Thailand and, Bangkok have confirmed their participation while delegations from other countries are also expected.
Council was expecting more than 100 leading local companies and interior designers to display their products while as many as 200,000 to 250,000 visitors to visit this mega exhibition. Visitors on the lookout for buying furniture will be able to enjoy special discount of up to 20 per cent on different items exhibited at the event.
He said this exhibition would also provide the younger designers and architects to see the market trends and display their own work alongside established professionals.”PFC is also continuing its work to develop a Pakistani presence in more countries and to act as the focal point for Pakistani furniture designers and manufacturers to enter international market,” he added.
Pakistan’s wood industry is well developed and captures 95 per cent of the country’s total market for furniture. The country has more than 700 units of wooden furniture with Chiniot alone meets 80 per cent of furniture demand in the country. Gujarat, with world-class furniture, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi are important furniture centers.
The PFC Chief Executive said that Pakistan imported furniture worth of Rs1.69 billion in 2015-16. Import of furniture items could create a viable threat of unemployment in local furniture industry, he added. The furniture industry in Pakistan has great potential as it can be both a labour intensive and capital intensive sector. Proper security arrangements have also been made for the visitors besides refreshments.
