TOBA TEK SINGH: Massive visa rejections for exporters intending to attend Heimtextil-2023 in Frankfurt, Germany, may prevent Pakistan from tapping export orders worth $5 billion.

This was stated by All Pakistan Bedsheet and Upholstery Manufacturers’ Association (APBUMA) senior vice chairman retired Capt Farooq Khan while addressing his association meeting in Faisalabad on Wednesday.

He emphasised the significance of Heimtextil for Pakistan’s export sector, stating it was the largest worldwide fair of home textile items, in which Pakistan had the expertise and could easily compete with other nations due to its quality products at a lower cost.

He said the majority of applications were denied, which was a shocking experience for the SME sector.

Engineer Muhammad Bilal Jameel, APBUMA North Zone chairman, said the government must take notice of the situation and intervene so that a maximum number of Pakistani exporters could participate and showcase their products at this fair.

He said the Heimtextil-2023 is critical for Pakistan because it allowed our exporters to receive orders and run their factories all year to meet the demand of European buyers.

“If exporters are not allowed to participate in this fair, it would deprive Pakistan of approximately $5 billion in orders,” said Arif Ehsan Malik, former central chairman of the APBUMA.

They demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Commerce Minister Syed Naveed Qamar convince the German embassy to issue visas to the maximum number of Pakistani exporters intending to participate in this fair.

They were optimistic that the government would take this issue seriously, as Pakistan badly needed maximum export orders to stabilise its dwindling exports.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023