KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday rejected a consignment of 10,000 bales of Indian cotton worth $3.3 million.

The shipment of ginned cotton parked at Karachi Port was imported by seven textile mills. It was rejected by the Plant Quarantine and Certification Services Office, Ministry of National Food Security and Research Department of Plant Protection. It directed Pakistan Customs to return the cotton consignment to the country of origin.

The customs deputy collector informed that the consignment was imported in violation of the Pakistan Plant Quarantine Act 1976 and Rules 1967. The said consignment would be returned to India at the expense of importers.

The rejection sent shock waves in the textile industry which has been striving for permission to import cotton from India. Last year, 2.7 million bales worth $800 million were imported from India to make up for the shortfall after cotton crop failure.

According to official sources, thus far the private sector has imported around 1.2 million cotton bales from different countries and orders for 0.3 million bales of Indian cotton have been placed. According to the textile industry leaders the cotton imported from countries other than India was cleared by the customs authorities without any issue.

Zahid Mazhar, Senior Vice-Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), was critical of the government policy of not allowing cotton imports from India. He said unbridled arrival of cotton yarn from the neighbouring country was causing injury to the domestic spinning industry.

“The industry needs around four million bales of imported cotton this year to meet the supply shortfalls,” he added.

The country is expected to produce around 10.05 million bales this year against an estimated demand of 15m bales.

Published in Dawn December 7th, 2016