Pak PM Nawaz Sharif’s efforts to empower textile industry through a growth-oriented ‘Textile Policy 2014-19’ and strong initiatives to boost the economy, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) hopes to push textile exports figures from $13 billion to $26 billion, double value-addition from $1 billion to $2 billion per million bales, facilitate additional investment of $5 billion in machinery and technology, and improve fiber and product mix in the garment sector.

The textile sector is a backbone of Pakistan’s economy. It plays a central role in the economy. Since 1947, the industry has been impressive. The number of mills increased from 3 to 600 and spindles from about 177,000 to 805 million. Similarly, looms and finishing units increased. Pakistan, is the 8th largest exporter of textile products in Asia, and has less than one per cent share in volume terms of total world textile trade with about $18 trillion per annum. Textile sector contributes 9.5 per cent to the GDP and provides employment to about 15 million. For Pakistan, the development of a textile industry making full use of its resources of cotton is a priority area. There are 1,221 ginning units, 442 spinning units, 124 large spinning units and 425 small units in the country which produce textile products.

The role of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) is to promote and protect the trade commerce and manufactures, to collect and circulate statistics and information besides encouraging unanimity amongst mill owners. It believes that the Pakistan government’s initiatives will boost development of the textile sector.

Pakistan’s textile policy is drafted so that the sector is made domestically and internationally compliant and 3 million jobs are created in the large textile units and vocational trainings of workers for higher productivity.