The owners of powerlooms factories and sizing units continued protest on the fourth consecutive day here Wednesday against the price hike of yarn and acute shortage of various counts of yarn in the local markets. The first round of negotiation between textile associations and the concerned stakeholders and government has been completed in Islamabad.
Government has assured the powerlooms owners and textile exporters that a comprehensive strategy will be evolved to bring the whole textile sector out of the soaring input cost, said Rana Akhlaq Ahmad, Chairman, All Pakistan Cotton Powerlooms Association (APCPA), while talking to newsmen. He said that it is evident that exports of cotton yarn and semi-finished textiles products are increasing considerably, while exports of cotton cloth, apparel and home textiles are declining, which is indeed alarming for manufacturers and labourers.
The cotton yarn exports have increased by 30.51 percent during the first quarter July-September 2009-10 while exports of cotton cloth has declined by 44.15 percent in first three months of the current fiscal year. Protestors gathered at Chowk Clock Tower, where a protest camp has been established. The protestors shouted slogans against the price hike and shortage of yarn counts and observed token hunger strike.
Rana Zahid Tauseef, City District Nazim visited the hunger strike camp and listened the grievances of the protestors and endorsed the demands for export sealing to meet the requirements of powerlooms industry and other textile ancillaries. Talking to newsmen, Shahid Razzaq Sikka, President, Mehmood Alam Jatt, Secretary Anjuman-e-Tajran City also expressed grave concern over the shortage of yarn in the market and urged government to resolve problems being faced by powerlooms Industry.