ISLAMABAD: The Commerce Ministry has presented a comprehensive short-to-long-term work plan to Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, aimed at revitalizing Pakistan’s textile and apparel sector and enhancing its global competitiveness.
During a high-level meeting at the ministry, Commerce Special Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mangnejo and Director General (Textile) Mudassir Raza Siddiqi briefed the minister on the sector’s performance and proposed strategic interventions to strengthen exports.
Despite global economic headwinds, Pakistan’s textile and apparel industry demonstrated resilience, recording a 9.3% growth in exports during the first eight months of FY 2024-25 compared to the same period last year. Notably, apparel exports surged by 19%, reaching a historic high of $6.2 billion.
Minister Jam Kamal Khan acknowledged the sector’s progress and emphasized the government’s commitment to value-added exports while optimizing local resources. He compared Pakistan’s cotton production with Brazil, highlighting the need for advanced agricultural practices, including climate-resilient seed varieties, mechanized harvesting, and sustainable irrigation techniques, to improve cotton yield and reduce dependency on imports.
The proposed work plan outlines a series of targeted measures to reduce manufacturing costs, scale up production, diversify into high-value technical textiles, explore new markets, and address non-tariff barriers. It also stresses the importance of a national sustainability framework, industry-academia collaboration, export-centric R&D initiatives, and a dedicated Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development program.
Recognizing Pakistan as one of the few nations with a complete textile and apparel value chain, the minister stressed the urgency of implementing strategic reforms to unlock the sector’s full potential. He expressed confidence that a collaborative policy approach would drive sustained export growth, enabling Pakistan’s textile industry to compete more effectively in global markets.
