Former Caretaker Federal Minister Gohar Ejaz has warned that Pakistan could secure apparel and garment orders worth $5 billion from Western brands within the next two weeks. However, he emphasized that this is a limited-time opportunity, with orders likely to be diverted to India, Vietnam, or Cambodia if not captured promptly.
Ejaz attributed the current unviability of Pakistan’s textile industry to high energy costs of 16 cents per unit and unfavorable taxation rules for the export supply chain. He proposed reducing energy prices to 9 cents and allowing the domestic supply chain for exports under SRO 1125 to make the country competitive.
These measures, according to Ejaz, could create five million jobs and add $5 billion to Pakistan’s export earnings. He reiterated the importance of maintaining energy prices at 9 cents for the overall survival of the industrial sector, emphasizing its role in job creation, exports, and import substitution.
