KARACHI - Pakistan’s 10th international textile machinery and garments technology exhibition, IGATEX Pakistan 2017-Exhibition and Conference, concluded successfully here on Saturday. Many participants pledged to start joint ventures and a large number of business deals were materialised at the exhibition.

Talking about the outcome of the four-day exhibition, Saleem Khan Tanoli, chief executive officer of FAKT Exhibitions, told the media that the 10th exhibition was most successful event of the series where a large number of foreign companies vowed to initiate joint ventures with Pakistani companies. “During the course of the exhibition many business deals were materialised. Many companies have announced returning to Pakistan to participate in the Lahore exhibition to be held on the same dates next year. The response of the event was way beyond our expectations,” he said.

Thousands of visitors made their way to the Expo Centre to gain material information and sign business deals with local and international manufacturers of latest machinery. “More than 550 companies from 35 countries, including Germany, Italy, UK, USA, China and Switzerland, participated in the exhibition, which was a record participation”, Tanoli said.

Pakistan’s textile sector, which desperately needs modern machinery and technology to compete with the rest of the world in the international market, has benefited from the event to a great extend, Tanoli said, adding the textile sector contributed more than 60 percent to Pakistan’s exports, which need special attention of the government and other stakeholders.

Responding to a question about the visit of any head of the government, chief minister, governor of Sindh or mayor of Karachi, he lamented that despite the fact that the event was taking place in the vicinity the government dignitaries chose to stay away from the expo centre. “Even top officials of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) did not bother to visit the exhibition that took place in their backyard,” Tanoli protested, adding “the Sindh governor, chief minister, federal commerce minister and other government officials were invited to visit and encourage participants.”

In coming days, the exports of Pakistan would increase in the wake of a number of incentives given by the government and also due to the introduction of the latest technology mainly in the textile sector, he said.

Responding to a question about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related investment in Pakistan, he stressed the need for taking local industries into confidence and consider the impact of foreign investment under the CPEC.

As many as 73 Italian, 70 German, 50 Chinese, 25 Turkish and 80 Pakistani companies displayed their products at this expo organised by FAKT Exhibitions.