Headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Pakistan textile ministry has recommended the lifting of a ban on cotton import from India to bridge the raw material shortfall in the country’s textile sector. The textile ministry has sought permission from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to lift the ban on import of cotton and cotton yarn from India.

In-charge of the Commerce and Textile Ministry, Prime Minister Khan has already approved the summary to be placed before the ECC. Currently, Pakistan allows cotton and yarn imports from all countries except India. It suspended trade ties with India after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

It faces a minimum shortfall of six million cotton bales and has so far imported roughly 688,305 metric tonne of cotton and yarn, costing $ 1.1 billion, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. There is still a gap of about 3.5 million bales that needs to be filled through imports.

Due to shortage of cotton and yarn, the users were compelled to import them from the United States, Brazil and Uzbekistan. However, imports from India would be far cheaper and would reach Pakistan within three to four days.