LAHORE, June 10: Over 200 importers, wholesale dealers, and retailers from across Europe, the US, Japan, Middle East and other places of the world are expected to participate in the four-day Pakistan Handknotted Carpet Exhibition scheduled to start on August 28 at the Expo Centre in Karachi.

This was stated by Pakistan Carpets Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) chairman Latif Malik at a briefing here on Tuesday.

He said the exhibition would give a boost to the carpet exports which had adversely been affected by the fateful events of September 11, 2001, and the situation that obtained in the region after the US-led attacks on Afghanistan. Military build-up by India on borders with Pakistan had also had bad impact on the country’s carpet trade, he added.

Mr Malik said some 125 foreign buyers had attended the previous carpet exhibition held in Lahore last year. However, more importers were expected to visit Pakistan this year to attend the exhibition because of the improved political situation in the country and the region. Easing of tension between Pakistan and India had also left a salutary effect on the country’s international trade.

Further, he said, the pro-business government policies had also played a significant role in improving the foreign buyers’ confidence in Pakistan.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf was expected to open the exhibition, he added. —Staff Reporter