Lahore - All Pakistan Gem Merchant & Jewellers Association and All Pakistan Anjumane-eTajiran on Friday held a protest demonstration in front of press club to condemn the 12th SAARC Trade Fair-2015 and National Exhibition for Women Entrepreneurs (WEXNET) being held from 4th December in Lahore Expo Centre.
Dozens of the protesters held placards and banners to criticize the Indian Show. They also chanted slogans against Indian Jewellery Industry and their agents in Pakistan who are working for the cause of India. They raised voice against SAARC Chamber and TDAP for supporting Indian jewellary industry at the cost of Pakistani industry.
Before the protest the office-bearers of All Pakistan Gem Merchant & Jewellers Association including Mazhar Saeed, Sheikh Mueenuddin, Shehzad Iqbal, Rizwan Shamsi and Muazzam Wahid and APAT Lahore president Mian Tariq Feroze also held a press conference at Lahore Press Club against the Indian Jewellery Show being held in the guise of SAARC Trade Fair and WEXNET.
They said that they will continue their protest until the plan of this exhibition is withdrawn. They warned to held a sit-in in front of Expo Centre if this is started.
The office-bearers of the Association said that the ‘12th SAARC Trade Fair-2015’ is being held at Expo Center Lahore from December 04 to 06 in collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). Apparently it is SAARC countries exhibition but actually it will be the show of only Indian jewellers.
They said that Indian jeweller mafia comes to Pakistan under VIP protocol without paying any custom duty and sell its product to Pakistani public at exorbitant rates in the exhibition.
“The Association has written letters to all chambers, FPCCI and Commerce Ministry to raise their concern against this Annual Show but no one has bothered to respond our letter.” Last year’s India Show clearly indicated that it was exclusive exhibition of Indian jewellery aimed at capturing Pakistan local market, which already has been turned into trade hub of China and India.