Pakistan : Post-Quota-Free Era: A Drive To Win Textile Markets

Pakistan has launched a marketing drive to win markets for textiles in the post quota-free era commencing from 2005.

A delegation of the leading textile exporters, headed by the Commerce Minister, Humayun Akhtar, visited the UK to apprise investors and importers of the vast business opportunities exist in the sprawling market of Pakistan.

The delegation, which consisted of Aziz Memon, Shabbir Ahmed, Anjum Salim, Bashir Ali Mohammad and Aziz Jamal, held meetings with the top brass of the famous departmental store, Mark Spencer, and invited them to visit Pakistan, which could provided a number of quality products, including home textiles.

They were informed that there was no law and order problem and the Western media was painting a wrong picture of events in Pakistan.

The Commerce Minister and the members of the delegation also held meetings with the President of the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry and leading importers, and convinced them to increase their business with Pakistan as the present democratic government fully guaranteed consistency of economic policies.

The founder Chairman of Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA), Shabbir Ahmed, has described the visit as very fruitful, aimed at increasing Pakistan's market share in Europe and to instil element of trust and confidence among the foreign buyers, luring them to conduct business with Pakistan, which was affected by a series of wars and terrorist acts both inside and outside Pakistan.

He expressed sorrow that the Pakistani exporters did not attend in large numbers in the Future of Textile conference held in Brussels, which had a sizeable representation from India and Bangladesh.