LAHORE: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) on Thursday urged the government to reinstate the former Chairman of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Tariq Iqbal Puri for the sake of trade and industry.

In a statement issued here, the REAP Chairman Javaid Islam Agha said that Tariq Puri was one of the most successful chairmen of TDAP and had close liaison with all the chambers and sector-specific associations in the country. It is worth mentioning that during his tenure the country’s exports reached the level of $25 billion which was unprecedented by all means.

The REAP Chairman said that Tariq Puri had vast experience and is one of the architects of the Lahore Expo Centre which was started in his tenure as Vice Chairman EPB. It is pertinent to mention here that Tariq Puri has to his credit the distinction of serving the Federal government for the last 37 years with versatility of experience both in government and corporate sectors. He acquired extensive hands on experience of multilateral and bilateral trade and investment negotiations and remained proactively engaged with foreign investors in attracting investments into Pakistan.