Rabiya Javeri Agha, Secretary Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, is the woman of the moment in Pakistan, having just wrapped up a successful four-day trade exhibition in Delhi that featured over 200 Pakistani businesses, including some of the top names in the fashion industry. Despite the praise that poured in from all quarters for a successful show, TDAP received its share of flak, with murmurs of mismanagement and a lack of organisation making the rounds. Instep recently caught up with Agha for a candid chat as she opens up about the challenges of normalising trade between India and Pakistan, the response of the Indian market to Pakistani products and moving beyond TDAP’s tainted past towards a brighter future.

Instep: Lifestyle Pakistan has provided a great marketing and publicity platform to Pakistani fashion brands. What are the long-term benefits from a trade/business point of view?

Rabiya Javeri Agha: According to a report by the International Trade Council, 86 percent of all business begins with face-to-face interaction. Aalishan, the second edition of Lifestyle Pakistan, was an opportunity to not only showcase our excellence in products and manufacturing but also to present a positive and creative image of Pakistan. It was a chance for buyers and sellers on both sides of the border to connect and most importantly, the platform was meant to encourage on-spot sales to generate foreign exchange.

Instep: The purpose of a trade show is to provide a platform for buyers and sellers to interact and form lucrative business contracts. Were Indian buyers present at the event and how interested were they in sourcing Pakistani products?

RJA: The Pakistani products received an excellent response. Many sourcing houses were present during the event. Companies don’t like to share names due to competition but I myself met representatives of several sourcing houses at the show who expressed a keen interest in sourcing products from Pakistan.

Instep: Without the complete normalisation of bilateral trade relations, how likely is it that efforts such as Lifestyle Pakistan will lead to sustainable business relationships being formed between the two countries?

RJA: Everything begins with baby steps. Initiatives such as these are extremely important and provide the basis for building a sustainable future. They go a long way towards dispelling misconceptions and creating synergies between people and thus create the ground for better and further trade relations.

Instep: A lot of designers have said that logistics make trade with India, if not impossible, then pretty daunting. For one, there isn’t an existing system for banking between the two countries. Going through a third country such as Dubai adds to the task. Can we hope for a simplification of the process if trade volume is to increase?

RJA: The success of the show has proved to all the enormous potential and untapped resources that can be put to good use if all hurdles and non-tariff barriers were removed in our regional trade.

Instep: Coming to this particular event, many designers, that were scheduled to show at Aalishan Pakistan, have been complaining about lack of planning as their visas didn’t come through in time. Can better planning ensure that such incidents don’t take place in the future?

RJA: Better planning is always a bar that one needs to rise above. Every new event is a learning process. The visa delays were, however, compounded by many, many issues outside the purview of TDAP. No one could have predicted the situation in Islamabad. The delays occurred despite best efforts on both sides of the border.

Instep: Will those designers who paid the fees and couldn’t make it to Delhi in time because of visa issues be reimbursed, as that is one of their concerns?

RJA: Yes, those who could not make it due to visa issues will be reimbursed.

Instep: The TDAP has earned an unfortunate reputation of being a corrupt organisation following the arrests of two former chairmen for embezzlement and fraud. What steps are being taken to distance the organisation from its murky past and to establish it as a credible trade body?

RJA: My officers worked night and day to set up a fabulous show by all standards. The corruption and mismanagement of the past should not shadow their effort and dedication. Issues of the past are now in courts of law and legal action and enquiry will be carried out as per the law. Let’s address the present.

Instep: People have faith in you as Secretary TDAP, however eyebrows were raised at the fact that your entire family (sisters and brother) participated in the event and/or were part of the entourage to Delhi?

RJA: Not a single rupee of the government of Pakistan was spent on any member of my family, a fact that can easily be verified from TDAP accounts. My family members are businesspersons in their own right and attended the show as exhibitors paying good, hard money for their stall in the Couture Lounge. They did, however, contribute to the success of the show by assisting the TDAP in the photography and social media coverage of the event free of cost.

Instep: How, after organising your first Lifestyle Exhibition in India, do you think it can be improved next time?

RJA: Seasoned designers such as Umair Tabani and Faiza Samee, to name just a couple, have said that in all their experience, they have never seen such beautiful stalls as those present in the couture lounges at Aalishan Pakistan. Hats off to our event managers for putting up such a successful show.

But of course, everything can get bigger and better the next time around. I asked an Indian journalist present who had attended the previous Lifestyle exhibition in 2012 what the difference was between Aalishan and the last show. He raised his palm upwards and said, "Iss daafa bohat hee aala hai!" Let’s take it at that.

Instep: Can we hope to see an Indian edition of such a trade show taking place in Pakistan in the future?

RJA: Reciprocal trade shows between India and Pakistan were initiated after talks held in 2010. India held a show in Lahore in 2012 and that same year, the first edition of Lifestyle Pakistan took place in Delhi. The Made in India exhibition was held in Lahore in February this year and now Aalishan Pakistan. Both countries are committed to fostering better trade relations by holding such events regularly.