29 August 2004	Sunday	12 Rajab 1425

LAHORE, Aug 28: The first "Regional Hand-knotted Carpets Exhibition" will begin at the Old Lahore Airport here on Sunday, featuring a big range of carpets from Pakistan, China, India and Nepal.

State Minister and Chairman Export Promotion Bureau Tariq Ikram will open the exhibition, while Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi will be chief guest at the award ceremony to be held at Aiwan-e-Iqbal on August 30.

"The exhibition will help promote the image of Pakistan as a thriving economy and a peaceful country with a desire to boost regional cooperation," said Vice Chairman of Pakistan Carpets Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) Maj (Retd) Akhtar Nazir.

More than 150 manufacturers and exporters from India, China, Nepal and Pakistan are putting their products ranging from traditional Mori Bokhara to best-selling rugs with classical and tribal designs at 106 stalls being set up on the occasion.

Akhtar Nazir said that 187 foreign buyers from about 20 countries, mainly from the US and Europe will attend the exhibition.

He expressed the hope that the event would help Pakistani carpet manufacturers to learn from the experiences of their competitors in India, China and Nepal in terms of designs, motifs, colour and texture of rugs.

Carpet exports of China, India, Pakistan and Nepal stand at $1 billion, $600 million, $250 million and $220 million respectively.-APP