Federal Minister for Textile Industry Rana Farooq Saeed Khan said that textile export target of $25 billion, announced in the Textile Policy 2009-14 was achievable as it has been set keeping in view all the challenges and shortcomings confronting the textile industry.

South Korean government will provide assistance of $1.5 million for establishing Garment Technology Training Centre (GTTC) in Karachi which will enhance competitiveness of the textile and apparel industry by providing skilled workforce. The project aims for enhancing competitiveness of textile and apparel industry by providing skilled work force.

The export of value-added knitwear garments, sportswear and other products will be badly affected if unbridled export of raw materials like cotton yarn and raw cotton is not checked by the government, said  Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMEA) Chairman Dr Khurrum Anwar Khawaja.

Punjab Governor Salman Taseer said that industrialists should focus on the value-added products instead of producing raw material. He said the federal government was trying its best to get the maximum access to international market for textile products.

The government has failed to honour its commitment made in the textile policy to exempt textile sector from load shedding and the textile industry is still facing long hours’ load shedding, said office-bearers of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).

M Jawed Bilwani, Chairman, Pakistan Apparel Forum said that the value added apparel exports are facing serious decline because of unrestricted export of cotton and cotton yarn. He said that the skyrocketing prices a cotton yarn would have a serious effect that would lead to decline the exports of the value added apparels and make it difficult to achieve export target.

Central Chairman of Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exports Association (PRGMEA) Mohsin Ayub Mirza said that SMOT Program has been very supportive for the entire apparel industry which provides two months quality training in stitching to existing redundant women labour force. He said that SMOT Scheme is aimed at increasing the participation of women workforce in the economic activities which could result in their socio economic uplift.

Textile Commissioner Idrees Ahmed said that over 5,000 trainees, including 3,000 women, have so far been trained by Textile Skill Development Board in textile garments stitching sector.

Gohar Ejaz, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Punjab has urged the government to implement textile policy initiatives regarding supply of gas to the textile industry by upgrading the priority of gas supply. He showed grave concern over the gas curtailment of 165 MMCFD of the textile industry in the Punjab from October, as the winter yet to set in.

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association’s former Chairman Akber Sheikh said despite acute power and gas shortages the industry never failed to meet export schedule even if it had to produce power and use energy at a higher cost.

Chairman Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Rana Abdul Sattar said quality and the volume of the crop, especially the Bt variety of cotton would not improve until use of uncertified seeds prevails. Pakistan will not able to achieve next cotton crop target in (2009-10) which is 12 million bales unless production of quality seeds, supply of quality inputs and water availability is not assured...

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has suggested that the government encourage local varieties of cotton seeds as they are best suited to the local textile mills. The APTMA Chairman said Pakistan's local varieties of cottons seeds are of excellent quality and they are easily processed in mills. He demanded of the Committee to encourage the production of cotton through indigenous resources.

Federal Minister for Textile Industry, Rana M. Farooq Saeed Khan has said that textile is a major source of increasing our exports and that is why Pakistan has world standing in this sector. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of farmers who met him.