GUJRANWALA, May 26: The powerloom industry is facing a serious crisis due to the government's wrong policies which have rendered about 200,000 workers and powerloom owners unemployed.
This was stated by the former chairman and vice-chairman of Silk Reyan Mills Association, Haji Abdul Waheed and Haji Muhammad Akram respectively, while addressing a news conference here on Wednesday.
They pointed out that the Chinese silk available in the local market was cheaper than the Pakistani brand. They said that out of 80,000 powerlooms, 60,000 had been closed down due to wrong policies of the government while 20,000 units were still in grip of the crisis.
They demanded that 25 per cent customs duty on the industry should be withdrawn and the sales tax reduced in the upcoming budget. They claimed that scores of powerloom industries had been shifted from the city to Bara tribal areas to avoid various taxes.
DACOITS HELD: Police claimed on Wednesday that they had arrested three dacoits in an encounter and recovered looted goods and illicit arms from their possession.
DPO Saud Aziz said in a briefing that the police raided their hide-out in Garjakh, acting on a tip-off. The bandits opened fire on the cops, which was returned. However, the raiding team arrested Shahzad, Abid And Sharif and recovered gold ornaments, cash worth Rs5,600 and a mobile phone from them.
WHEAT SEIZED: A joint raiding team of the food department, police and the district administration raided a flour mill here on Wednesday, seized 5,000 bags of wheat and arrested its owner.
The team, led by a judicial magistrate, recovered 2,000 bags from the mill and Rs3,000 from an adjacent secret godown. Police have arrested Muhammad Arshed and registered a case against him.
