Speakers at a seminar on 'Development of Carpet Industry' have urged the carpet manufacturers to produce carpets keeping in mind new designs, colours and fashion trends in order to arrest the decline in exports of carpets.
The seminar was organised by the Carpet Committee of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Monday.
LCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar read out the address of welcome, while LCCI Carpet Committee Convener Mohsin Bandey, Shahid Hassan Sheikh and others spoke on the occasion.
Anjum Nisar said the carpet industry had passed through a rough phase during the early and mid-90s on account of the fact that its internal human resource placement was misunderstood in the developed world, adding Pak carpet industry was accused of child labour promoting the exploitation of human beings.
This stance was taken unilaterally without appreciating the ground realities of the Pakistani society, culture and the carpet industry itself, he said.
The LCCI chief said the phase was painful for the industry, adding what we need today is to shift our stance from that of damage control to aggressive marketing aimed at capturing the new markets and regaining lost markets.
He said here we have to be appreciative of the fact that in a free trade environment, we have to make a place for ourselves on the basis of cost efficiency, product differentiation, quality parameters and innovative approach.
"It is extremely necessary that we are able to get the pulse of the international market, at present and more importantly for the future. A constant monitoring of the global trends in the carpet sector can put us in the position, where we can predict or plan in the best possible line of action", he said.
Anjum Nisar called upon the carpet industry bodies to get engaged in research-oriented activities, encompassing the constant monitoring of the international trends, identification of the regions and blocs, where Pakistani carpet industry could make its impact and effectively compete with the immediate competitors.
"The carpet industry stands on a positive ground to benefit from the free trade environment, and its captains should know the pulse of the market to act positively and aggressively", Anjum added.
Former LCCI vice-president Shahid Hassan Sheikh, in his discourse, said two years back, Pakistani carpet industry touched its peak when it exported $290 million which was now down to $210-215 million.
Shahid said there was huge demand of carpets in the world that even all manufacturers of Pakistan could not meet demand of one buying house, adding Pakistan was leading in fashion and designs.
Some time back we proudly say that we are copying Iran, but now Pakistani industry was in a position where Iran is forced to copy us, he claimed.
He urged the manufacturers to follow the trends and market requirements.
LCCI Carpet Committee Convener Mohsin Bandey threw light on history of Pakistani carpet industry.