Pakistan Single Country Exhibition showcases best in manufacturing

18 January 2016 03:01 am

Pakistan Commerce Minister‬ Khurram Dastgir Khan, Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama and Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, together with a host of other dignitaries including Pakistan High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Maj Gen (R) Syed Shakeel Hussain, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) CEO S.M. Muneer, Pakistan High Commissioner in the Maldives Vice Admiral 
Khawar Ali and TDAP Secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha formally inaugurated Pakistan Single Country Exhibition 2016 last week.

The mega exhibition, which seeks to extend the excellent political relationship between Sri Lanka and Pakistan to the spheres of trade and commerce, was held from January 15 to 17, 2016 at the BMICH and featured representation from over 110 leading Pakistani commercial establishments in 15 sectors, as well as over 400 stalls.  

The expo was announced earlier by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe during the former’s recent official visit to Sri Lanka.    

Organised by the TDAP in partnership with the High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, the exhibition featured leading Pakistani establishments in the industry sectors of engineering products, auto parts, agro products, textile and clothing, designer wear, handicraft and traditional textiles, cosmetics and herbal products, pharmaceuticals, cutlery, gems and jewellery, furniture, carpets, marble and services.  Apart from the exhibition, many business-to-business (B2B) meetings were held as part of the event, which seek to realize the untapped potential for bilateral trade between the two nations. The free trade agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka came into effect in June 2005 but has failed to significantly boost bilateral trade.