The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has rejected Pakistan Senate Committee on National Food Security and Research demand to immediately stop importing cotton lint from India. As Tariq Saud, Chairman APTMA says the observation of the committee that the country’s agriculture economy would be ruined if the import of 0.5 million bales of cotton from India was not stopped as there is sufficient stock of cotton lint available with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan is baseless. He said that TCP Officials has confirmed in the meeting held on April 28, 2016 under the Chairmanship of Secretary Commerce that only 75,900 bales of 2014-15 season balance stock available with TCP.

Saud urged the Senate Committee that instead of suggesting any ban on cotton imports it should take up the matter of crop failure and concentrate on ways to prevent such failures from occurring again. He said the local industry would prefer to use Pakistani cotton over any other imported growths provided sufficient cotton is made available for the industry to run at full capacity. At the moment, the requirement of the industry is 16 million bales whereas the local cotton production was less than 10 million bales. He asked the question that if cotton import will be banned who is going to fill the gap between 16 million bales requirement and 10 million bales availability?