Pakistan has recorded a 14 per cent decline in exports of textile products during the current year. This despite the GSP Plus facility granted to Pakistan. Poor supply of gas has impacted Pakistan’s economy. While India provides subsidy on textile and wheat production, Pakistan does not. India increased its textile production three times during the last 13 years. However, in the increase in cotton production has been nominal. There is no full-time minister for the textile sector.

Pakistan is the eighth largest exporter of textile products in Asia. This sector contributes 9.5 per cent to the GDP and provides employment to about 15 million people. Pakistan is the fourth largest producer of cotton with the third largest spinning capacity in Asia after China and India, and contributes five per cent to the global spinning capacity.

Pakistan has about 1,221 ginning units, 442 spinning units, 124 large spinning units and 425 small units which produce textile products. Machinery in textile universities may be upgraded so that engineers get trained. The government may provide more incentives to Karachi, Faisalabad and Lahore textile cities and encourage small capitalists to invest there. Efforts are being made to increase collection under the textile cess.