November 11, 2002	Monday	Ramazan 5, 1423

With physical renovation and technical rejuvenation of the Bolan and Lasbella Textile Mills in the current political and economic situation in Balochistan, it is estimated that over 20,000 people would get jobs in the province.

Cotton production of superb quality from Balochistan would enable the mills to produce quality finished goods for exports. A new era of industrial development can begin with the revival of the two mills in the province.

Closed textile mills at Uthal and Quetta amply reveal the stark facts— a shocking story of injustice done to the people of this most backward federating unit- Balochistan. It reveals how callously the public exchequer was plundered: how petty personal interests did over-ride national interests and how the politico- bureaucratic allies did harmonize their anti-people agenda here and defy any move to let these mills run by private parties.

The most apathetic fact about the two mills is that they were closed when they had reached the production stage. Iran did her best to keep them running, even offered to buy their production on payment in advance, but the corrupt management turned a blind eye to the benefits the local people could enjoy from these projects and closed down them abruptly. Thousands of people, mostly labourers, lost their jobs to the immense disservice to the province.

The machinery installed at these textile mills costing millions of rupees and the valuable industrial infrastructure built was sacrificed at the altar of vested interests and the projects could not bring any good for the people of the province. The entire episode of installation of textile mills served only the petty personal interests of the politico-bureaucratic agents of the federal government the during eighties.

The two closed textile mills are in need of being revived and run again in view of the increasing demands of Pakistani textile products in the world market,especially the USA.

According to a recent news report, about 200 textile mills in the US are in process of being closed down. In Pakistan, top textile groups in Punjab and Sindh are reportedly competing for a joint collaboration with the US textile groups. One of them which collaborated with the US bedwear group is reported to have set up a modern textile processing plant in Lahore. The US market for textile products is estimated at around $65 to $70 billion a year. According to analysts, doveloping countries will have an estimated export opportunity worth $100 billion after these textile mills are closed down in the US. This golden opportunity must not be missed.

It is the most opportune time to revive the textile mills of Bolan and Lasbela in the wider interest of the people of Balochistan now that the province has begun to produce excelent cotton. In three working shifts in one mill, roughly 21,000 persons can get jobs. It is worth mentioning that the two mills with all the technical and physical requisites are ready, just waiting for a go-ahead signal to run from the decision makers in Islamabad.