Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday tasked the Ministry of Textile to prepare a comprehensive plan, in consultation with the private sector, to improve the production of cotton to meet the growing domestic requirements and export demand.
He took this action while presiding over a meeting at PM House in the afternoon to discuss strategy for enhancing textile exports. The Prime Minister said that textile industry is the backbone of the industrial sector, and improvement in the quality and quantity of cotton would strengthen the competitiveness of this industry and facilitate exports of textile products.
He asked the Ministry of Textile to focus on areas and regions in the country through which optimum yield of cotton could be obtained. He said that the textile industry has to be made more efficient to make it cost-effective and profitable since it is a valuable asset of the country.
The meeting was also attended by Minister for Defence, Commerce and Textile Industry, Ahmad Mukhtar, Special Assistance to Prime Minister on Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, and Secretaries of Textile, Commerce and Finance.