LAHORE: The All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association said on Saturday that over two dozen units have closed down in Punjab while a large number of the mills have reduced their operations, rendering hundreds of textile workers jobless.

Association’s Punjab chairman Aamir Fayyaz told a press conference that exports data of the last four months had showed significant decline in textile exports.

He said the textile exports had declined in terms of quantity and value. Textile industry of Punjab, which is about 70 per cent of total textile of Pakistan, was facing serious viability issues due to unprecedented energy cuts, whereas industries in other provinces were being provided gas throughout the year, he added.

He said that the government here was dragging its feet here, but in India, Bangladesh and China extensive support was being provided to the textile industry.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2015