German airline Lufthansa has decided in principle to restore its flights from Lahore.
This was disclosed by Klaus Werner Jonas, member Parliament Federal Republic of Germany, while addressing a conference on 'Pak-German textile sector relationship' here on Thursday night.
He said that Germany was preparing to expand its business relations with Pakistan. "In this connection, a number of steps are being taken," he said, adding, "in addition to issuing maximum number of visas to the Pakistani businessmen, Lufthansa will also restore its flights from Lahore from the next season."
He said that the genuine businessmen intending to visit Germany will have no problem in getting visas and said that necessary instructions have already been issued to the German embassy.
BIGGEST TEXTILE CENTRE: Speaking on the occasion, Dr Khurram Tariq, Central Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), said: "Faisalabad is the biggest textile centre of the country with the biggest yarn market of the world. It is also enjoying a unique distinction of having the biggest concentration of power looms in a single city."
"There are more than 2000 looms of all types in addition to 450 dyeing, printing and finishing mills," he said, adding, " a sizeable number of machinery manufacturing industry was also present in this city."
Dr Khurram Tariq said: "The PHMA is one of the largest knitwear exporters associations in term of foreign exchange earning." He said that its members were earning 1.12billion dollars foreign exchange in addition to providing jobs to the several hundred thousands workers.
He said that the total turnover of Faisalabad in textile sector, including home textile and knitwear, was more than 50 percent of the national turnover.
Dr Tariq said that German manufacturers have to produce cheaper machinery to cater to the needs of developing countries, like Pakistan, in addition to facing the WTO challenges.