KARACHI: The Pakistan Furniture Council`s (PFC) 8th Interiors Pakistan Exhibition, to be held at the Expo Centre from July 7 to 9, aims to showcase the potential and calibre of Pakistani furniture, fixtures andrespecdvefurnishinggoods.

`Pakistan at the moment imports Rs4 billion worth of furniture and its export amounts toRs0.7bn. These figures need to be balanced,` said Mian Mohammed Kashif Ashfaq, PFC`s CEO at a pre-exhibition press conference on Wednesday.

Giving some background about his organisation, he said that the PFC was initiated in 2011 with an aim to promote local furniture. `The government earlier had come up with Furniture Pakistan that was supposed to do the same work but the organisation was politi-cised somehow and failed to progress.

That was when the well-meaning people from there got together to set up a non-profit organisation for the cause,` he said.

`We want to promote the local furniture industry and the local artisan by beginning a production mechanism and marketing model to increase production and sales. Though this is our eighth such exhibition, it is thesecond one in Karachi as we have also taken the exhibition to other cities of the country. So our focus will be on furniture manufacturers and retailers in Sindh,` he said.

Mian Ashfaq said that the growing of wood locally was also an issue. `Solid wood or raw wood availability for making furniture is also low so we are collaborating with the forest department to develop a mechanism for plantation. This willgive way to manufacturers of furniture to buy wood locally.

This is how we are taking all sectors of furniture production on board,` he added.

PFC company secretary Hamid Mahmood said that the exhibition would comprise 187 decorated and customised stalls and booths that would allow over 35 participating brands to showcase their creative ideas over the three days of exhibition.