LAHORE: Punjab Governor Malik Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana will inaugurate the ninth three-day “Interiors Pakistan” exhibition 2017 at Expo Centre here on Friday.
The essence of the exhibition will be to promote the furniture and associated products made in Pakistan at local and international levels. The event will be attended by members of the diplomatic corps, leading businessmen, stakeholders of the furniture industry and foreign delegations. Delegations from China, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Hong Kong, Thailand and Bangkok have confirmed their participation while delegations from other countries are also expected.
The organisers of the exhibition Pakistan Furniture Council is expecting over 100 leading local companies and interior designers to display their products, and about 200,000 to 250,000 visitors to visit the mega exhibition. It has further been intimated that visitors coming to buy furniture will be able to enjoy special discounts of up to 20 percent on different items exhibited at the event.
In a statement on Thursday, PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq said that the exhibition would provide young designers and architects to see market trends and display their own work alongside established professionals’. “PFC is working toward developing Pakistanis’ presence in more countries and providing a focal point for Pakistani furniture designers and manufacturers to enter the international market,” he added.
He also said that Pakistan’s wood industry was well-developed and captured 95 percent of the country’s total market for furniture. The country has more than 700 units of wooden furniture with Chiniot alone meeting 80 percent of furniture demand in the country, and Gujarat, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi being important furniture centres, he added.
He further said that Pakistan imported furniture worth Rs1.69 billion in 2015-16. Import of furniture items could create a viable threat of unemployment in the local furniture industry, he added. The furniture industry in Pakistan has a great potential as it can be both a labour-intensive and a capital-intensive sector.
Federal Commerce and Textile Minister Muhammad Pervaiz Malik is going to be the chief guest on the occasion. Others expected to visit the event include South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Chamber Vice President and United Business Group Chairman Iftikhar Ali Malik, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) ex-chief SM Muneer, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Zubair Tufail along with SVP Aamir Ata Bajwa, VP Manzoor Ul Haq Malik, Lahore Chamber President Tahir Javed, SVP Khawaja Khawar Rashid, VP Zeeshan Khalil, TEVTA Chairperson Irfan Qaiser Sheikh and the women chambers president.
Security arrangements have been made for visitors at the event besides refreshments.
