All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, observing a 'black day' on Wednesday, has called it a complete success. The textile industry has been critical of high business costs and unchecked entry of subsidised Indian goods including yarn, fabric and garments and a ban on the import of the goods which is also part of an eight-point charter of demand.
Central Chairman Tariq Saud said Wednesday, "It is a successful strike and all textile mills, including leading groups in the spinning, weaving and spinning sectors, right from Karachi to Khyber Pakhtunkhawa remained closed." In another development, association's Punjab Chairman Aamir Fayyaz also spoke in a press conference Wednesday after attending an extraordinary general body meeting at the association's Punjab office. He said the association thanked all member mills for responding to its call and also welcomed the support it had received from the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association and the Multan and Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industries.
He defended the textile industry, saying it is "the mainstay of the economy playing a pivotal role" in generating employment and exports and contributing to the gross domestic product. "It is unfortunate that the current circumstances have forced us to hold 'black day' to register our protest since the government is not answering to our miseries," he complained.
He said competitors in regional countries were getting full support to enhance production. He demanded "A drop of 21 percent in the country's exports for September this year against the corresponding period must be an eye-opener for the government. It is because of the burden of surcharges on the industrial electricity bills and an uncontrolled dumping of subsidised goods from India to hurt domestic market. I urge the government to withdraw the electricity bill surcharges straight away, ensure uninterrupted energy supplies and put the import of the Indian yarn, fabric and garments on the negative list to save the domestic commerce."
He also deplored that the government remained unresponsive to an advice by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to devaluate the currency to strengthen exports, but "it has responded proactively to its latest advice of not extending any relief to the industry". "Throughout the world, the easiest way of earning dollars is to strengthen the export industry, instead of looking towards the IMF or issuing bonds, which are actually a burden on the people of Pakistan."
He said the textile millers kept their mills closed, displayed black banners, flags and buntings while wearing black bands and that numerous textile workers staged protest marches outside their mills in connection with the day. "But the protest remained peaceful throughout the country," he said. "This day is an effort to create awareness and realisation on the part of the government to understand the problems of the industry and come up with a workable solution sooner than later." There was also an incident of burning of Indian yarn and fabric by an irate crowd of textile millers outside the association's Punjab office.
Comments
Comments are closed.