Rolling out the welcome rug: Lal Layle, above, weaves a silk rug at her home on Dal Lake in Srinagar on Oct. 17. Below, a merchant stocks rugs on Jan. 14, 2002, in Srinagar. Kashmiri carpets are world famous, but the rug industry hasn’t been faring well in recent times, in part because artisans have been turning to more lucrative professions and because the separatist insurgency has scared away tourists. Trade across the Line of Control, however, could breathe new life into the industry. A Pakistani trade delegation visited earlier this month and showed “keen interest” in handicrafts. Currently, Jammu and Kashmir annually exports $142 million in carpets.