PCMEA Annual General Meeting: Pakistan to Participate in Three Major International Exhibitions in Germany, Türkiye Next Year

By Farzana Chaudhry
LAHORE (Pakistan): The Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) under the chairmanship of Mian Atique-ur-Rehman, during which the association approved the annual accounts for the previous fiscal year and appointed new auditors.

In compliance with the Directorate General of Trade Organizations (DGTO) regulations, the meeting also decided to appoint one female executive member each from the Northern and Southern Circles to ensure gender representation in the executive body.

During the session, Vice Chairman Riaz Ahmed presented a comprehensive report on the association’s performance over the past year and outlined future initiatives and strategic plans.

The meeting was attended by Patron-in-Chief Abdul Latif Malik, Chairperson Carpet Training Institute Ijaz-ur-Rehman, and senior members including Usman Ashraf, Saeed Khan, Sheikh Khalid Saeed, Umar Khalid, Saad Ijaz-ur-Rehman, Rashid Latif Chaudhry, Iftikhar Tahir, and Sheikh Amir. Office bearers and members from the Southern Zone participated via video link.

Chairman Mian Atique-ur-Rehman and Vice Chairman Riaz Ahmed informed participants that the recent international carpet exhibition held in Pakistan had been a major success, producing encouraging results for the country’s handmade carpet industry.

They announced that Pakistan will participate in three major international exhibitions scheduled to be held in Germany and Türkiye next year, and emphasized that preparations should begin immediately to ensure effective representation.

The leadership shared that the association had received assurances regarding the reduction or complete removal of the 26% sales tax at the Torkham border, expressing optimism that the issue would soon be resolved. They also appreciated the abolition of the penalty on delayed export proceeds, thanking the State Bank of Pakistan for the positive development.

Chairman Mian Atique-ur-Rehman added that, in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the PCMEA will organize special e-commerce training sessions to help members adopt modern marketing strategies and enhance their global outreach.

Efforts are also underway to secure permanent membership for PCMEA in both the TDAP and the Export Development Board, aimed at strengthening the association’s institutional representation.

Highlighting procedural challenges faced by exporters, the chairman pointed out that bank officials often lack awareness of recent policy changes introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which creates unnecessary delays and difficulties. To address this, the association will arrange awareness sessions with bank and FBR representatives to keep them informed about relevant regulatory updates.

The meeting also approved the reactivation of the Carpet Training Institute in Karachi, aimed at promoting skill development and enhancing the technical capacity of artisans associated with the carpet industry.