No application from Pak for trade expo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 11

Pakistan’s famous non-vegetarian dishes, articles and apparel collection will be amiss during the 14th edition of the five-day Punjab International Trade Expo (PITEX) scheduled to be held in Amritsar from December 12.

The cross-border turbulence has taken over the bonhomie of Gurdwara Kartarpur corridor facilitation and this time, the Pakistan Commerce Chambers also did not apply for visa to be part of the PHD-Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI)-sponsored trade and cultural bonanza.

The only participation that can be expected from Pakistan is from traders who possess SAARC visa. They may turn up to set up their stalls.

RS Sachdeva, Mentor, PHDCCI (Punjab), said owing to repeated rejection of visas by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home, the Pakistan trade bodies did not even apply to be part of this trade fair.

“Pakistani traders, industrialists and chefs’ participation in PITEX appear to be bleak. The reason is that for the past four years, the Union Ministries of External Affairs and Home didn’t grant them visa. We invited the Lahore chamber’s officials this time too, but they were reluctant stating that their passports and documents got stuck up for no reasons and it ended up in disappointment and embarrassment,” he said.

Pakistan has been a regular participant for a decade till 2015 along with other SAARC countries. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry had shown enthusiasm for the event in the past. Also, the Pakistani cotton, embroidered fabrics, leather goods, silver filigree footwear and onyx stone handicrafts attracted visitors.

For the past four years, Pakistan’s participation has remained constrained.

Meanwhile, Amritsar DC Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon said a total of 400 exhibitors would set up their stalls. This time, exhibitors from Afghanistan, Turkey, Thailand and Egypt are also participating. Apart from these, states like Jharkhand, J&K, MP and North Eastern states are also participating.

Regional Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Madhu Pillai said apart from leading corporates, PITEX will see participation from PSIEC, GMADA, Punjab Agro Industry Corporation, PEDA, Milkfed, Markfed, among others. “A number of Union Government departments like Ministry of MSME, NABARD, Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Ministry of Ayush, National Small Industry Corporation, National Coir Board are participating,” she said.

CM unveils logo, brochure

The Chief Minister appealed to industrialists to expand their business as the present scenario in the state was favourable for capital investment. A curtain raiser was organised at the CM House for PITEX-2019 during which the official logo and brochure for the 14th edition of Punjab International Trade Expo- 2019 (PITEX) was unveiled. Chairman, Punjab State Chapter, PHDCCI, Karan Gilhotra said PITEX was being organised annually in Amritsar for last 13 years and in 2020, the chamber will also organise the expo in Ludhiana.