The Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers & Exporters Association has proposed to set up a modern 'Carpet City' in the Sunder Industrial Estate near Lahore, PCMEA vice chairman Akhtar Nazir told Business Recorder here on Saturday.
After a detailed meeting with Commerce Secretary Asif Shah and officials of Export Promotion Bureau, he said that PCMEA had applied to Punjab government for allocation of 100 acres land in the new industrial estate for shifting all hand knitted and other carpet manufacturing units from inside the cities to the proper and environmentally regulated industrial zone.
He said that, besides carpet weaving units, PCMEA wanted to set up a modern and well-equipped research, designing training institute for modernising the industry and improving skills of manpower which would give tremendous boost to Pakistan's carpet industry.
"Since all the facilities would be available at one place, Pakistan's exporters would be in a competitive position to fulfil big orders of foreign importers and take exports up to $1 billion in a short span of time," he said
He said that Commerce Secretary had assured PCMEA that he would take up the matter with Secretary Industries and Punjab government and the Federal government would make all efforts for the promotion of trade in connection with hand knitted carpet at international level.
He said that carpets and rugs exports had started picking up after ten years' slump and Pakistan's hand knitted carpets are now in great demand, especially in USA, because of their quality and designs. "There was an increase of 26 percent in exports of carpets during FY 2004-05 totalling $282 million, and it was expected to cross $300 million this year.
Akhtar said that the carpet industry was providing, directly or indirectly, jobs to 1,200,000 to 1,500,000 families and it had solved the problem of child labour, which had been recognised by the international community.
He said that carpet manufacturers and exporters of Pakistan, China, India and Nepal had formed World Hand Knitted Carpet Organisation to jointly promote their traditional product in the international market. He said that he was happy to say that both China and India had expressed full confidence in Pakistan and offered him (Akhtar Nazir) to be its first Chairman.