Dr. Ejaz Gohar, Patron-in-Chief and Group Leader of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), stated that Pakistan’s textile sector has the potential to secure $5 billion in orders in the near future as Western clothing brands begin to shift away from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is currently experiencing significant political instability following Sheikh Hasina’s departure amid widespread unrest across the country.
However, Gohar warned that “the window of opportunity is only two weeks; otherwise, these orders will be directed to India, Vietnam, or Cambodia.” He made these remarks in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The former caretaker commerce minister emphasized that the current energy prices and tax structure in Pakistan are not conducive to the export sector. “We are not viable at these energy prices of 16 cents and with the existing taxation rules for the export supply chain,” he noted.
He urged the government to lower energy prices to 9 cents and to allow the domestic supply chain for exports under SRO 1125 without delay.
Gohar believes that these measures will enable the textile industry to capture these orders, potentially creating five million jobs and generating $5 billion in export earnings for Pakistan.
Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule recently came to an end as she fled the country after a month of deadly protests, prompting the military to announce the formation of an interim government.
Protests erupted over the reintroduction of a quota scheme that reserved more than half of all government jobs for specific groups. Despite the scheme being scaled back by Bangladesh’s top court, the demonstrations intensified.
Since the protests began in early July, at least 320 people have been reported killed, according to an AFP tally based on information from police, government officials, and hospital doctors.
Last week, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of the interim government, promising to guide Bangladesh back to democracy.
