Government to promote and develop Textile sector: Mukhtar
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Textile Industry, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar here on Friday said that the Government would assist the textile Industry for providing efficient Infrastructure, improving quality of textile education and training of workers.
“Ministry of Textile would develop a comprehensive Textile Policy which will provide long terms measures to help the industry develop core competitiveness”, he said while addressing a meetings of the leading businessman in Karachi and Lahore respectively here on Friday. He convened the two-day meeting of the businessmen from Karachi and Lahore to discuss the current status of Textile Industry and to find what should fee the way forward to overcome the current problems of the industry.
The representatives of textile Industry sub-sectors briefed on the current status of textile industry, their problems in respect of raw materials, energy cost and power failures and their difficulty to compete with the exports from China, India, Bangladesh and other competitors.
They requested Minister to plead their case in the Cabinet meetings for arresting cost of doing businesses, support in marketing and trade promotion. The Industry pleaded for uninterrupted supply of Gas and Electricity and requested support on Travel advisories by US and EU.
Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar assured them all possible Government support for improving raw cotton production, introducing BT. cotton, supply of raw materials and utilities. The Government, he said would assist the textile Industry for providing efficient Infrastructure, improving quality of textile education and training of workers.
The bedwear, garments and towel sectors pleaded for continuation of Research and Development facility for three more years. The Minister said that Ministry of Textile would develop a comprehensive Textile Policy which will provide long terms measures to help textile industry develop core competitiveness.
He added that the Ministry of Textile industry would initiate broad based consultation with Textile Trade Associations and all stakeholder and will come up with practical solutions to support this important Industry of the country. Zafar Mahmood, Secretary Textile Industry, Muhammad Idrees Ahmed, Textile Commissioner, Iqbal Ibrahim, Anwar Tata, Javid Akhtar, Zubair Gilani, S.M Ubaid, Zubair Motiwala, Bilal Mullah, Naqi Barl, Muzammil Hussain.
Zubair Parekh, Aziz Memon, Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Muhammad Alt Tabba, Dr.Arsahd Vehora, Mr.Yaqoob, Wajid Jawad, Mian Muhammad Latif, Shahid Nazir, Mian Tahir lehaq Bhara, Rehman Nasim, M.I. Khurram, Akbar SheiKh, Shafkat Elahi Sheikh, Farid Sheikh, Samir Asghar, Arif Saeed and Ijaz Khokhar attended the meeting.