RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Malik Shahid Saleem said on Tuesday that the chamber would organise a three-day ‘gems and jewellery exhibition’ from August 23 in Islamabad.
He said that the exhibition would provide an opportunity to the businessmen to showcase the best of Pakistani gemstones, diamonds, jewellery, watches and mineral specimens.
The RCCI chief said that the purpose of this expo was to attract foreign investment in non-conventional sectors and to facilitate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) od the country. “There will more than 50 stalls of different items, including precious stones, gems, ornaments and silver, gold and diamond jewellery,” he added.
Saleem said a technical convention with regard to cutting, polishing and certification of gems would also be held on the sidelines of the exhibition.
He urged the government to establish an expo centre in Rawalpindi so as to facilitate the citizens.
“Pakistan always focused on traditional sectors to increase exports, however, we must look for new opportunities and sectors like gems and jewellery to attract foreign investment as countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka and Central Asian states have shown interest,” he stated.
The RCCI chief said Pakistan has enormous wealth of expensive gems such as ruby, emerald, tourmaline, garnet, topaz, peridot, aquamarine, spinel, pargasite, diopside, moonstone, pink topaz, sapphire, zircon, feldspar, agate, serpentine jade, epidote, pink beryl (morganite), purple beryl, sphene, zoisite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and kunzite etc.