The event manager Big Bang Communications td. (BBCL) and Pegasus Consultancy team informed the meeting, which was attended, among others, by City Nazim Niamatullah Khan, Commerce Secretary Tasneem Noorani, and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Chairman Tariq Ikram, that Pakistan State Oil, Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Ltd have contributed Rs 10 million each for the sponsorship of the event. A sum of Rs 26 million has been committed from the exhibitors.
GREEN BELTS: Sights Committee Niamatullah Khan said that the city government would not charge any tax on the hoarding and other structural edifice fixed for Expo Pakistan. The committee asked the City Nazim to develop green belts on vintage points in the city.
The committee proposed that the cantonment boards in the city should be requested to develop green belts in areas under their control for the purpose.
Presenting the report of the Hospitality Committee Tariq Kirmani of PSO said that the PIA had agreed to give 25 percent discount in fare for the participants to be invited for the show.
The committee, however suggested that if the airline could not agree to 50 percent discount it should give one third of the fare as discount.
The committee was informed that so far about 223 invitees out of a total 500 had confirmed their participation for the mega event. It was further informed that about 450 to 500 rooms would be available for guests in 5-star hotels. A total of 240 rooms and 120 rooms had already been booked for the event's guests in two 5-star hotels.
It was decided to direct Pakistani missions abroad to issue invitations to the state guests in their countries because many missions had not yet received any official invitations from the Ministry of Commerce and Export Promotion Bureau. It was also decided to ask Pakistan embassies to issue a gratis visa to the state guests.
The committee was informed that the report of the security committee would be presented at the next meeting scheduled for January 6 in the Governor House. It was also decided to hold a meeting on the site of Expo to supervise the arrangements.
It was decided that a request would be made to the owners of buildings situated en route of the event and around the Karachi Expo Center to paint fronts of the building to give refreshing look to the venue. The arrival and departure lounge of Jinnah Terminal would be tastefully decorated for the event and a reception desk would be set up before the Immigration desk to escort the guests out of the airport without any hassle.
Earlier Pervez of BBCL explained the details of decorations to be made for the event at a vintage points of the city, which include ceremonial arches and edifices befitting the glorious history and culture of the country.
He said that about 5,000 brochures, published for the event, and had been distributed while there is a need to publish an equal number of brochures. He said that most of the brochures had been dispatched to the Pakistan missions.