Latest news with #MeraBrandPakistan
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Food exports stand at around $3bn: official
LAHORE: Pakistan's food exports currently stand at around US $3 billion, with the potential to rise to US $10 billion, said Director General Punjab Food Authority Muhammad Asim Javed. He was speaking to the media after attending the 'Mera Brand Pakistan' Expo, organized by the Pakistan Business Forum at the Lahore Expo Centre. The expo featured stalls of national brands and high-quality local products and continued for two days. Speaking to the media on the occasion, the DG Food Authority said that a Business Facilitation Center has been established to promote business networking and raise awareness about food safety. At this centre, food business operators are provided with guidance regarding the food industry. He added that the Punjab Food Authority is extending full cooperation to the business community in matters related to food exports. He emphasized that through research and development, Pakistani products should be exported worldwide, and by producing goods according to international standards, exports can be significantly increased. The DG stated that there are ample opportunities for investment and start-ups in Pakistan's halal food export sector. He highlighted that the participation of over 200,000 people in this impactful exhibition is a great achievement. Enhancing production quality and strengthening consumer trust is the need of the hour, and there is a firm commitment to raising local brands to international standards. He remarked that such business events serve as milestones in promoting national products and strengthening the business community. 'The day is not far when our products will be recognized worldwide under the 'Made in Pakistan' label,' he said, adding that bringing together major brands and the business community under one platform is commendable. The DG further said that the aim of the Food Authority is to promote a healthy lifestyle and a culture of quality food among the public, while the 'Mera Brand Pakistan' Expo will play a positive role in the country's economy. Meanwhile, the enforcement teams of the Punjab Food Authority have lodged two FIRs against food suppliers involved in preparing fake milk and selling meat from dead goats during a crackdown carried out across the district under the directions of PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javed. Food safety teams discarded 3,000 litres of fake milk, two dead goats and two maunds of hazardous meat during the operation. They also confiscated a milk supplier's vehicle, a supplier's motorcycle 488 litres of oil 175kg of powder and four pumps used in the adulteration process. All recovered substandard products were discarded on the spot. DG said that teams intercepted a motorcycle in the rural area of Dhariyan carrying dead goats to be processed as meat. A veterinary specialist examined the animals and confirmed that they had died before slaughter making the meat unfit for human consumption. Meat was discarded while the motorcycle and supplier were handed over to police. He said that on Raiwind Road, teams uncovered a fake milk production unit manufacturing synthetic milk using powder, vegetable ghee and other prohibited substances. On site tests failed to meet the required standards. The supplier, who was caught distributing a white liquid in place of milk without maintaining essential records or documentation, was booked under five legal sections. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Mera Brand Pakistan Expo 2025 inaugurated
LAHORE: Chief Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has stressed that achieving the true objectives of Pakistan's creation requires independent formulation of national policies and liberation from foreign domination and colonial influence. While addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Mera Brand Pakistan Expo 2025 at the Lahore Expo Centre on Thursday, he said economic self-reliance can only be achieved by freeing the economy from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the interest-based system. 'Mera Brand Pakistan is a successful step towards this goal,' he stated. Pakistan Businessmen Forum has organised the Expo. The event was attended by Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Abu Zar Shad, Senior Vice President Khalid Usman, business leader Anjum Nisar, Pakistan Businessmen Forum President Ijaz Tanveer, and Alkhidmat Foundation President Dr Hafeez ur Rehman. Earlier, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman hoisted the national flag at the Expo Centre to mark Independence Day and inaugurated the exhibition. He congratulated the nation and lauded the Pakistan Businessmen Forum and the Lahore Chamber for successfully organising the event. Touring the stalls, he noted that after two successful exhibitions in Karachi, Mera Brand Pakistan has now reached Lahore. He urged the business community to take the initiative to Islamabad, Faisalabad, and eventually to Dhaka and other Islamic countries. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
11-08-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PBF to hold ‘Mera Brand Pakistan' expo on 14th
LAHORE: Pakistan Business Forum, Lahore chapter is holding a two-day 'Mera Brand Pakistan' expo at the Lahore Expo Centre on August 14 and 15, with over 200 brands from 80 different Pakistani companies participating and showcasing their products through 175 stalls. This two-day 'Mera Brand Pakistan' will be a purely family festival, attracting large numbers of women, children, businesspeople, and the general public. This was announced by the Senior Vice President Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry Engr Khalid Usman, Pakistan Business Forum Lahore President Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer, Abdul Wadood Alvi and others at a press conference here on Monday saying that under the slogan 'Holding the Flag of Economic Freedom,' we are beginning a new struggle to project our country at global level and express our love to our homeland. They said that 44 percent of our fellow Pakistanis live below the poverty line. The State of Pakistan runs on loans from the IMF and other global institutions. There is only one way out of poverty, destitution, mounting debt, and weak governance — that is for all of us, together, to launch a movement for economic growth and pull 'Pakistan' out of this economic quagmire. The Pakistan Business Forum Lahore has initiated such a movement for economic freedom and growth through this expo. Throwing light on different programmes to be arranged as part of this expo, Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer said a convoy of more than 400 heavy bike riders will depart from Minar-e-Pakistan for the national cause and project made in Pakistan products. The Expo is expected to draw between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors. Alongside the brand stalls, there will be several side-line programmes. For women — who make up 54 percent of the population — special women empowerment programs will be held, including a 'cooking and baking competition' to promote cottage industries, with prizes worth millions of rupees for encouragement. For young entrepreneurs, there will be a 'competition for new business ideas and start-ups', with the launch of an interest-free microfinance loan program worth one million rupees. The Mera Brand Pakistan 'Knowledge and Learning Lounge' will host youth meet-ups with entrepreneurs from fifty different fields. Kids Entrepreneur stalls will also be set up. He said a Halal Food Pakistan will also be arranged at the sidelines of this expo to project Pakistani food industry as global demand for Halal food is increasing every year. To promote industry–academia linkages and skills education, there will be a roundtable with education experts and business leaders in collaboration with Leads University. A special 'Entrepreneurs Counter' will guide those launching new brands and provide information regarding government institutions. Urging the residents of Lahore to visit this expo, he disclosed visitors to the Expo will enjoy prizes worth millions of rupees, discounts on brand purchases, and free gifts to encourage local industries and brands. Others who were present on this occasion included Asim Shafique Sheikh, Muaz Qazi, Zeeshan Bakhshi, Faisal Arshad, Waqas Arshad, Ch Sheraz kamboh, Rana Mushraf, Syed Umer Farooq, Tahir Majeed, Hafiz Malik Mehmood Ahmed and Ali Imran. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
04-08-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
'Mera Brand Pakistan' Expo to boost trust
LAHORE The "Mera Brand Pakistan" Expo is set to take place at the Lahore Expo Centre on August 14 and 15, aiming to promote Pakistani products, support local industries, and foster economic self-reliance. The announcement was made at a joint press conference hosted by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Pakistan Business Forum on Monday. Speakers underscored that the expo is not just a commercial exhibition, but part of a broader national movement to build trust in local manufacturing and strengthen the "Made in Pakistan" identity. LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad said the time had come to end reliance on imported goods and recognise the capacity of Pakistan's domestic industries. "Our national industries have remarkable potential - they only need trust and promotion," he said. "The Mera Brand Pakistan Expo is designed to give every local manufacturer and brand a platform to present their products to the public, buyers, and exporters." He added Pakistan must become self-sufficient to meet its needs and that pride in national production and participation in such expos is essential. The key to Pakistan's growth lies in boosting exports, and that is only possible by enhancing the global identity of Pakistani products. LCCI Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman called the event a major step towards economic independence. He said the exhibition has specially created space for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). "Economic stability is impossible without the growth of local production," he stated. The two-day event will feature a diverse range of Made-in-Pakistan products, including textiles, cosmetics, food, household items, furniture, footwear, leather goods, engineering products, and other daily-use essentials. Ijaz Tanveer, one of the event organisers, said that every small industrialist in Pakistan has the potential to drive change. "This is a moment for our youth entrepreneurs to use this platform and help Pakistan transition from a consumer market to a producer economy," he said. Chaudhry Mohsin Bashir said the expo reflected a vision of national unity and shared purpose. "We must work together to take Pakistani brands to the global stage," he said. The LCCI office-bearers reiterated that "Mera Brand Pakistan" is more than just a trade fairit is a national initiative focused on self-sufficiency, economic stability, and international branding of Pakistani goods. They said the expo offers a valuable opportunity for local manufacturers to connect with new markets and expand their reach.
Business Recorder
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pre-launch ceremony of ‘Mera Brand Pakistan' held
KARACHI: The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) held a pre-launch ceremony on Thursday at a local hotel in Karachi, ahead of its third consecutive mega exhibition titled 'Mera Brand Pakistan', scheduled for January 3 and 4, 2026. Organizers announced that the upcoming event will be the largest of its kind, quadrupling in scale compared to previous editions. Speaking at the ceremony, Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Chief, Monem Zafar Khan linked the initiative to a broader national and humanitarian cause. He described Mera Brand Pakistan as a response to Israel's ongoing brutalities in Gaza, condemning the Zionist regime for using starvation as a weapon of war against innocent civilians. 'You cannot slaughter our women and children with one hand and sell us your products with the other,' Monem Zafar stated, urging a nationwide boycott of Israeli goods and calling on all stakeholders to support locally produced alternatives. Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) President Junaid Naqi echoed the call for strengthening domestic industries. He emphasized the need to enhance the quality and branding of Pakistani products and pledged full support to the Mera Brand Pakistan campaign. 'The nation must unite to prefer 'Made in Pakistan' over imported products, especially those linked to regimes engaged in oppression,' he said. PBF Acting President Amir Rafi shared the journey of the exhibition's growth, noting that the first event was organized within just 21 days in a single hall at the Karachi Expo Centre. The second expanded to two halls, and the upcoming third edition will be four times larger. He expressed gratitude to both exhibitors and the public—particularly Karachi's women—for their enthusiastic response. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
