Shiv Sena protests Pakistan trade fair

Mumbai: A maiden trade fair exclusively devoted to selling wares from Pakistan that started here today witnessed protests by right-wing Shiv Sena activists. A group of about 50 Sena activists protested outside the World Trade Centre complex, the venue for the “Made in Pakistan Expo 2012”, in south Mumbai’s tony Cuffe Parade locality, police said. The activists shouted slogans and demanded that the exhibition be stopped. A spokesperson for the industry lobby Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce Industry (FICCI), which is supporting the fair, confirmed that protest was staged outside the venue. [caption id=“attachment_438851” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters.[/caption] There are about 100 stalls put up at the fair by 58 Pakistani companies for which nearly 200 workers have come down here, president of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Haji Fazal Kadir Khan Sherani, told reporters. Products at the fair include designers’ collections showcasing Pakistani brands like Gul Ahmed, Signatures by Five Star, Nisha Summer Lines and Al Karam among others, a FICCI statement said. The exhibition that was inaugurated today is scheduled to close on September 5. The Shiv Sena has a history of protesting against any form of Pakistani association with the country and had dug up a cricket pitch before a match, opposed Pakistani artistes from performing and its cricket team from playing here in the past in protest against terror incidents inflicted on Indian soil by Pakistan-sponsored groups. PTI