Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Kashif Ashfaq said on Tuesday that Pakistan’s furniture industry had the potential to dominate global markets with innovative designs and could significantly contribute to exports. However, he said it direly needed a package of incentives and facilitation for boosting exports. Talking to a delegation of furniture manufacturers, he said unfortunately, the furniture sector remained badly neglected; it needed special attention of the federal and provincial governments for the training of woodworkers on modern lines,” according to a press release issued by the Council. He said there is an urgent need to explore the international market for boosting our exports as there is a lot of potential in Pakistani products, adding he said the value of furniture export was very nominal but a beginning had been made, and with aggressive marketing strategy the value of exports could be doubled in a short span. He said if the government extends its support to furniture companies, the volume of export could touch the figure of $5 billion for the next five years. He said the leather industry is also associated with furniture and assured furniture producers that they would provide them world class leather for use in furniture making. He urged businessmen to promote local industry in Pakistan. “Pakistan is blessed with abundant resources and our people are equipped with the best of skills that can help develop the country on modern lines,” he added. PFC Chief Mian Kashif Ashfaq said the Council was committed to supporting Pakistan’s young entrepreneurs associated with the furniture and interior designing sectors, whose innovative thinking had the potential to unlock great economic prosperity. He said exhibitions provide young designers and architects with access to market trends and platforms to display their own work alongside that of more established professionals. Mian Kashif expressed the hope that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the furniture sector would prosper.