FAISALABAD, Dec 29: German embassy in Islamabad has refused to issue visas to 250 exporters who have been allocated stalls in Heimtextil Frankfurt Fair being held from Jan 8 to 12.

All-Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association chairman Khurram Iftikhar said here on Sunday that this was a setback to Pakistan’s exporters as Heimtextil was one of the most prominent fairs in the world.

He said association members had been taking part in the fair for the last eight years, and this year 40 members had been allocated stalls in the fair. The participants had already sent their cargo and display products involving huge expenses in foreign exchange. The construction of stalls was also under way, and the decoration and display material had already been ordered.

He said association members along with the staff of the companies had applied for German visa about a month back, but the embassy refused to issue the same without any reason. This development had upset the exporters’ schedule.

The APCEA chief said the exporters had already incurred huge expenses for participation in the fair, including dispatch of samples and booking of hotels for staff members and directors. The exporters had also made appointments with their foreign buyers in Frankfurt who would be visiting the fair from all over the world. Millions of dollars in foreign exchange would be lost to the country if the exporters did not reach the fair in time, he said.

He urged the Pakistan’s authorities to take cognizance of the situation and intervene in favour of the exporters enabling them to get visa and reach the fair in time.